Feature extraction from slice data for reverse engineering

Abstract

A new approach to feature extraction for slice data points is presented. The reconstruction of objects is performed as follows. First, all contours in each slice are extracted by contour tracing algorithms. Then the data points on the contours are analyzed, and the curve segments of the contours are divided into three categories: straight lines, conic curves and B-spline curves. The curve fitting methods are applied for each curve segment to remove the unwanted points with pre-determined tolerance. Finally, the features, which consist of the object and connection relations among them, are founded by matching the corresponding contours in adjacent slices, and 3D models are reconstructed based on the features. The proposed approach has been implemented in OpenGL, and the feasibility of the proposed method has been verified by several cases.