Surface reconstruction based on laser scan data

The problem of freeform surface reconstruction starting from a cloud of points measured by a laser scanning system is examined. The objective is to fully integrate reverse engineering and laser scanning for rapid product development. The measuring principle and the configuration of the system are investigated. Based on non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve and surface, the freeform curve, the surface reconstruction method, the step and parameterization algorithms are introduced. The interfaces between initial graphic exchange specification (IGES) and stereo lithography interface specification (STL) with CAD and rapid prototyping manufacturing (RPM) system are discussed. The system is developed based on an open graphics library (OPEN GL) software environment. A practical case is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.