Study of optimal subset size in digital image correlation of speckle pattern images

This paper investigates the effect of subset size, associated with image pattern quality and subset displacement functions, on the accuracy of deformation measurements by digital image correlation(DIC). A concept of subset entropy is introduced in this work to quantify the subset image pattern quality for DIC analysis and its effectiveness was demonstrated by experimental studies. By employing white-light images with almost uniform subset entropy and first-order displacement functions, the effect of subset size on DIC analysis was investigated for the deformation cases of translation, uniform deformation, and simulated quadratic deformation, respectively. The results show that the chosen subset size must be large enough for precise displacement measurements when subset displacement functions match underlying actual deformation. On the other hand, optimal subset size in DIC for nonhomgeneous deformation measurements appears as a result of a tradeoff between the influence of random errors and systematic errors.     

Digital image correlation with gray gradient constraints: Application to spatially variant speckle images

As a carrier of local deformation information, speckle pattern inside a subset is usually crucial for surface displacement acquisition based upon a digital image correlation (DIC) method, since both accuracy and precision of DIC method are closely related to the amount of speckle information in a subset. Although some comprehensive theoretical frameworks have been developed to estimate the quality of local speckle patterns, it is still a great challenge how to effectively integrate the subset speckle information into the well-developed correlation criteria used for DIC. By means of a well-designed square window function, we here propose the concept of continuous subset in order to modulate subset size in a continuously derivable manner. Afterwards, we further develop a new constrained zero-normalized sum-of-squared differences (CZNSSD) criterion and construct the corresponding iterative algorithm, based on which the subset size involved can be automatically determined according to the necessary amount of speckle information. Numerical results of synthetic speckle images indicate that the set of algorithm can enhance the accuracy and precision of displacement measurement, especially for spatially variant speckle images.     

用于前向光散射颗粒粒度测量的基函数Tikhonov正则化算法

以前向光散射颗粒测试技术中的反演问题为研究对象,将颗粒粒径分布函数表示为一系列B-spline函数的线性组合以降低反演问题的病态性。模拟计算与实验表明:采用基函数形式的Tikhonov正则化方法可减少传统Tikhonov正则化反演带来的振荡,使其更加光顺。     

基于CCD尺寸测量中图像边缘退化及恢复技术研究

针对直边衍射效应造成的图像边缘退化问题,建立边缘退化模型。从菲涅尔直边衍射理论出发,基于信号与系统理论的图像边缘退化数学描述方法,分析了造成图像边缘退化的原因。通过分析不同光源波长和成像物距下直边衍射强度分布曲线的特点,构造简单函数实现衍射光强分布的近似,进而得到退化系统传递函数;利用退化系统传递函数构造滤波器对获取图像的边缘进行恢复,从而提高尺寸测量精度。实验结果表明:经边缘恢复方法校正后的测量结果误差约为0.02 mm,相对未校正数据的测量结果误差减小0.04 mm,提高了尺寸测量精度。     

Assessment of speckle-pattern quality in digital image correlation based on gray intensity and speckle morphology

In digital image correlation (DIC), speckle patterns are generated on the surface of a specimen to resolve uniqueness issues. Thus, speckle patterns significantly affect the accuracy of image correlation. To assess the quality of speckle patterns, the standard deviation of gray intensities within each speckle (SDGIS) is introduced as a new metric. On the basis of the cumulative distribution of SDGIS, speckle-pattern quality measurement (ρ) is proposed, which integrates the features of gray intensity and speckle morphology. Twelve speckle patterns are generated by changing the spraying time and nozzle sizes of an airbrush because these are associated with the speckle volume fraction and speckle size, respectively. In addition, three displacement fields are used to investigate the effects of speckle patterns on the accuracy of the DIC results. For the 12 speckle images associated with the three displacement fields, the correlation results demonstrate that the proposed speckle-pattern quality measurement is inversely proportional to the averaged error of the subset method. This is statistically confirmed by evaluating the correlation coefficient and p-value. Furthermore, the error of the subset method is more affected by speckle patterns than the subset size when the subset size is sufficiently large.     

A novel 2nd-order shape function based digital image correlation method for large deformation measurements

Compared with the traditional forward compositional matching strategy, the inverse compositional matching strategy has almost the same accuracy, but has an obviously higher efficiency than the former in digital image correlation (DIC) algorithms. Based on the inverse compositional matching strategy and the auxiliary displacement functions, a more accurate inverse compositional Gauss-Newton (IC-GN2) algorithm with a new second-order shape operator is proposed for nonuniform and large deformation measurements. A theoretical deduction showed that the new proposed second-order shape operator is invertible and can steadily attain second-order precision. The result of the numerical simulation showed that the matching accuracy of the new IC-GN2 algorithm is the same as that of the forward compositional Gauss-Newton (FC-GN2) algorithm and is relatively better than in IC-GN2 algorithm. Finally, a rubber tension experiment with a large deformation of 27% was performed to validate the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.     

An approach to estimating and extrapolating model error based on inverse problem methods:towards accurate numerical weather prediction

Model error is one of the key factors restricting the accuracy of numerical weather prediction(NWP). Considering the continuous evolution of the atmosphere, the observed data(ignoring the measurement error) can be viewed as a series of solutions of an accurate model governing the actual atmosphere. Model error is represented as an unknown term in the accurate model, thus NWP can be considered as an inverse problem to uncover the unknown error term. The inverse problem models can absorb long periods of observed data to generate model error correction procedures. They thus resolve the deficiency and faultiness of the NWP schemes employing only the initial-time data. In this study we construct two inverse problem models to estimate and extrapolate the time-varying and spatial-varying model errors in both the historical and forecast periods by using recent observations and analogue phenomena of the atmosphere. Numerical experiment on Burgers’ equation has illustrated the substantial forecast improvement using inverse problem algorithms. The proposed inverse problem methods of suppressing NWP errors will be useful in future high accuracy applications of NWP.     

A comparison of HIFU-induced lesion size measurement based on gross histological examination and image of bovine thigh in vitro

The aim of this study was to investigate the agreement in HIFU-induced lesion sizes between measurements based on gross histological examination and those from images. Experiments were conducted in an experimental arrangement with a three-way multiscan ultrasonic inspection system and imaging was done by B-mode ultrasound (US). Bovine thigh muscle with and without fascia lata was treated with an in situ spatially averaged focal intensity ranging between 750 W cm(-2) and 1565 W cm(-2) and sonication-time was variable from 8 to 20s. Assessment of the two measurement methods showed a rather weak correlation in the samples without fascia lata. For clarity and convenience in the discussion, sample muscles with and without fascia lata were labeled F and M, respectively. It was difficult to measure the lesion size from ultrasonographic images of F samples, so there was disagreement in the samples with fascia lata. This investigation showed that the presence of fascia lata in bovine thigh muscle has the likely effect of affecting the ultrasound image and makes it difficult to distinguish coagulated tissue from surrounding healthy tissue. There was no significant correlation between ultrasonography and the gross histological findings in M samples. Data supported that at for an in situ spatially averaged focal intensity ranging between 750 W cm(-2) and 1565 W cm(-2) and relatively shorter exposures (sonication-time variable from 1 to 8s) higher correlation between image and gross histology measurement was found in excised bovine muscle specimens.     

The forward and inverse problem in tissue optics based on the radiative transfer equation: A brief review

This note serves as an introduction to two papers by Klose et al. [2] and [3] and provides a brief review of the latest developments in optical tomography of scattering tissue. We discuss advancements made in solving the forward model for light propagation based on the radiative transfer equation, in reconstructing scattering and absorption cross sections of tissue, and in molecular imaging of luminescent sources.     

A color image watermarking scheme based on hybrid classification method: Particle swarm optimization and k-nearest neighbor algorithm

In this paper, a novel robust watermarking technique using particle swarm optimization and k-nearest neighbor algorithm is introduced to protect the intellectual property rights of color images in the spatial domain. In the embedding process, the color image is separated into non-overlapping blocks and each bit of the binary watermark is embedded into the individual blocks. Then, in order to extract the embedded watermark, features are obtained from watermark embedded blocks using the symmetric cross-shape kernel. These features are used to generate two centroids belonging to each binary (1 and 0) value of the watermark implementing particle swarm optimization. Subsequently, the embedded watermark is extracted by evaluating these centroids utilizing k-nearest neighbor algorithm. According to the test results, embedded watermark is extracted successfully even if the watermarked image is exposed to various image processing attacks.     

DSPI strain measurement on an externally reinforced bending beam: A comparison of step-by-step addition and pixel shift correlation

A small-scale concrete beam reinforced with an adhesively bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plate was subjected to four-point bending. Finite element analyses (FEA) of the bending deformations were carried out to predict strain gradients near the end of the CFRP plate. In order to measure these strains, phase-stepping 3D-digital speckle pattern interferometry was employed. To avoid speckle decorrelation due to the inevitable rigid body motion of the specimen, the load was increased in small increments. Two evaluation schemes for the electronic speckle pattern interferometry phase maps are compared: summing up the measured displacement components load step-by-load step versus regain of the correlation by shifting the final image by an integer number of pixels. Measured strain values are evaluated using a polynomial fit to the measured in-plane displacements and are compared to the FE predicitions. It can be concluded that pixel shift correlation is preferable to summing up load steps for cases of large rigid body motion.     

Effect of process parameters on the recovery of lactose in an antisolvent acetone/acetone-ethanol mixture: A comparative study based on sonication medium

Recovery of lactose from the whey using sonocrystallization was studied experimentally. The effect of sonication medium and irradiation power levels was evaluated using three different ultrasonic equipments. Effects of various parameters such as sonication time, pH of the medium, antisolvent (acetone and acetone-ethanol mixture) and concentration of lactose were determined. The optimal parametric conditions were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, particle size distribution, and zeta potential measurements. Overall, the highest lactose recovery was obtained using a mixture of acetone and ethanol as antisolvent in bath sonication as well as atomization process.