DSSP stands for ''digital shape sampling'' and ''processing''. It is an alternative and often preferred way of describing "
reverse engineering
Reverse engineering (also known as backwards engineering or back engineering) is a process or method through which one attempts to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accompl ...
"
software
Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications.
The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...
and hardware. The term originated in a 2005
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
SME, also known as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, is a non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental ...
' "Blue Book"
[Peter Marks, Capturing a Competitive Edge Through Digital Shape Sampling & Processing (DSSP), SME Blue Book Series, 2005]
PDF
on the topic, which referenced numerous suppliers of both scanning hardware and processing software.
DSSP employs various
3D scanning methods, including laser scanners, to acquire thousands to millions of points on the surface of a form and then software from a variety of suppliers to convert the resulting "
point cloud
A point cloud is a discrete set of data Point (geometry), points in space. The points may represent a 3D shape or object. Each point Position (geometry), position has its set of Cartesian coordinates (X, Y, Z). Points may contain data other than ...
" into forms useful for inspection, computer-aided design, visualization and other applications. It may also employ volumetric methods of scanning, such as digital
tomography
Tomography is imaging by sections or sectioning that uses any kind of penetrating wave. The method is used in radiology, archaeology, biology, atmospheric science, geophysics, oceanography, plasma physics, materials science, cosmochemistry, ast ...
.
Some common applications include CAI (computer-aided inspection), creation of 3D
CAD
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
models from scanned data, medical applications, 3D imaging for
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 (also known as participative (or participatory) web and social web) refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture, and interoperability (i.e., compatibility with other products, systems, a ...
applications, and the restoration of culturally significant artifacts; as well as conventional reverse engineering for creating replacement parts.
The term 'reverse engineering' itself has acquired some notoriety when the technology has been used to copy others' designs.
The term 'laser scanning' has also been used somewhat interchangeably for DSSP. However, there are two problems with the term as a broad description of the field. First, it is only one of many alternative scanning technologies. Second, it misses the essential role of processing software in converting point cloud data into useful forms.
In some ways, DSSP is a 3D analog to DSP (
digital signal processing
Digital signal processing (DSP) is the use of digital processing, such as by computers or more specialized digital signal processors, to perform a wide variety of signal processing operations. The digital signals processed in this manner are a ...
) in that the software attempts to extract a clear and accurate 3D image from point data that may include
noise
Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...
. The notion of 'shape sampling' embedded in the term also acknowledges that, as in many measurement processes, the accuracy of the 3D data will depend upon the number and accuracy of points sampled.
The speed and accuracy of both scanners to acquire data and software
algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm () is a finite sequence of Rigour#Mathematics, mathematically rigorous instructions, typically used to solve a class of specific Computational problem, problems or to perform a computation. Algo ...
s to extract useful
data
Data ( , ) are a collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted for ...
has dramatically increased in recent years. The amount of data capturing capability has also increased many fold, due to the advances in the camera technology and faster, more powerful computers. As some the limitations of the technology are eliminated and costs reduced, more uses are appearing.
References
Digital signal processing
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