Computer Vision Based, Noncontacting Deformation Measurements in Mechanics: A Generational Transformation

Abstract

The remarkable increases in computational speed and memory size that have occurred over the past three decades have impacted virtually every area of scientific inquiry. With regard to the measurement community, the digital age has revolutionized the way in which data are acquired, stored, and analyzed to extract the maximum amount of information. For the purposes of this discussion, the focus will be on computer vision–based, noncontacting measurement methods, specifically those commonly known as 2D image correlation, 3D image correlation, and digital volume correlation (also known as volumetric image correlation), and their increasingly significant role in the broad field of solid mechanics. The review closes with a visionary perspective regarding the integration of measurements and models and the impact it may have on the design process.