Structured Point Cloud Data Analysis via Regularized Tensor Regression for Process Modeling and Optimization

Modern measurement technologies provide the means to measure high density spatial and geometric data in three-dimensional (3D) coordinate systems, referred to as point clouds. Point cloud data analysis has broad applications in advanced manufacturing and metrology for measuring dimensional accuracy and shape analysis, in geographic information systems (GIS) for digital elevation modeling and analysis of terrains, in computer graphics for shape reconstruction, and in medical imaging for volumetric measurement to name a few. The role of point cloud data in manufacturing is now more important than ever, particularly in the field of smart and additive manufacturing processes, where products with complex shape and geometry are manufactured with the help of advanced technologies (Gibson et al., 2010). In these processes, the dimensional and geometric accuracy of manufactured parts are measured in the form of point clouds using modern sensing devices, including touch-probe coordinate measuring machines (CMM) and optical systems, such as laser scanners. Modeling the relationship of the dimensional accuracy, encapsulated in point clouds, with process parameters and machine settings is vital for variation reduction and process optimization.