Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories

Conventional industrial computed tomography (CT) systems are constrained in their choice of acquisition trajectories due to their mechanical design. These systems are very precise instruments since they do only move on primarily highly accurate rotational stages. In order to be able to scan an arbi...

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Main Authors: Anton Weiss, Simon Wittl, Gabriel Herl, Simon Zabler, Anna Trauth, Markus G. R. Sause
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: NDT.net 2025-02-01
Series:e-Journal of Nondestructive Testing
Online Access:https://www.ndt.net/search/docs.php3?id=30725
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author Anton Weiss
Simon Wittl
Gabriel Herl
Simon Zabler
Anna Trauth
Markus G. R. Sause
author_facet Anton Weiss
Simon Wittl
Gabriel Herl
Simon Zabler
Anna Trauth
Markus G. R. Sause
author_sort Anton Weiss
collection DOAJ
description Conventional industrial computed tomography (CT) systems are constrained in their choice of acquisition trajectories due to their mechanical design. These systems are very precise instruments since they do only move on primarily highly accurate rotational stages. In order to be able to scan an arbitrary Region of Interest (ROI), regardless of the position, size and weight of the specimen, conventional industrial robots can be used as flexible 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) manipulators. For example in a twin robot computed tomography system, acquisition geometries with arbitrary tool poses can be realized. In scientific applications, the quality of the CT volume image is of primary interest, whereas in an industrial environment it is often a matter of balancing quality and acquisition time. Common industrial robots cannot achieve the required positional accuracy without calibration to generate an ideal reconstruction. In the presented study, methods for the geometric correction of CT scans are compared. Image based correction is compared to general machine calibration and full pose tracking by laser trackers. Image quality metrics such as the Modulation Transfer Function, Shannon entropy and Tenengrad variance are utilized to evaluate and compare the reconstruction quality of the various correction and calibration approaches. The assessment of the reconstruction quality revealed a comparable reconstruction quality between the approaches, with the machine calibration approach emerging as one of the best, while also reducing the time-intensive correction overhead.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1435-4934
language deu
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spelling doaj-art-b5da619b32a34d5582eecca01165821f2025-02-06T10:48:19ZdeuNDT.nete-Journal of Nondestructive Testing1435-49342025-02-0130210.58286/30725Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectoriesAnton WeissSimon Wittlhttps://orcid.org/0009-0006-0365-7018Gabriel HerlSimon ZablerAnna TrauthMarkus G. R. Sausehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6477-0691 Conventional industrial computed tomography (CT) systems are constrained in their choice of acquisition trajectories due to their mechanical design. These systems are very precise instruments since they do only move on primarily highly accurate rotational stages. In order to be able to scan an arbitrary Region of Interest (ROI), regardless of the position, size and weight of the specimen, conventional industrial robots can be used as flexible 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) manipulators. For example in a twin robot computed tomography system, acquisition geometries with arbitrary tool poses can be realized. In scientific applications, the quality of the CT volume image is of primary interest, whereas in an industrial environment it is often a matter of balancing quality and acquisition time. Common industrial robots cannot achieve the required positional accuracy without calibration to generate an ideal reconstruction. In the presented study, methods for the geometric correction of CT scans are compared. Image based correction is compared to general machine calibration and full pose tracking by laser trackers. Image quality metrics such as the Modulation Transfer Function, Shannon entropy and Tenengrad variance are utilized to evaluate and compare the reconstruction quality of the various correction and calibration approaches. The assessment of the reconstruction quality revealed a comparable reconstruction quality between the approaches, with the machine calibration approach emerging as one of the best, while also reducing the time-intensive correction overhead. https://www.ndt.net/search/docs.php3?id=30725
spellingShingle Anton Weiss
Simon Wittl
Gabriel Herl
Simon Zabler
Anna Trauth
Markus G. R. Sause
Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories
e-Journal of Nondestructive Testing
title Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories
title_full Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories
title_fullStr Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories
title_full_unstemmed Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories
title_short Safeguarding accuracy for CT imaging with industrial robots: Efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories
title_sort safeguarding accuracy for ct imaging with industrial robots efficient calibration methods for arbitrary trajectories
url https://www.ndt.net/search/docs.php3?id=30725
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