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A peculiar characteristic of cultural heritage objects is their uniqueness. This results in an enormous importance for their preservation against aging, accidents, destruction etc. Although not replacing physical preservation, one way is the digitization of the objects in their current state by modern scanning technologies. This research describes a new method to combine 3D shape and color texture data acquired without contact to achieve high-resolution 3D representations. The method was basis of a portable 3D digitization system. The portable character allows its application on-site, which is essential for sensitive and non-transportable objects. A structured-light 3D sensor and a photo camera are used to capture the object from various overlapping perspectives. Then, the 3D shape and photographic data are processed and merged into a complete textured 3D model. Resolution and accuracy of the final model are in the range of 0.1 mm. Beyond preservation, the models can be used to make museum objects digitally available for experts or visitors worldwide e.g. in the form of online databases or virtual museums. A first utilization of the presented technology was realized with historic globes, especially with a Schöner globe dating from 1515 as highlight. The used method can be extended beyond RGB texture acquisition using multi-/hyperspectral sensors leading to an increased information content about the objects.

In the treatment of ankle fractures, complications such as wound healing problems following open reduction and internal fixation are a major problem. An innovative alternative to this procedure offers a more minimally invasive nail stabilization. The purpose of this biomechanical study was to clarify whether this method was biomechanically comparable to the established method. First, the stability (range of motion, diastasis) and rotational stiffness of the native upper ankle were evaluated in eight pairs of native geriatric specimens. Subsequently, an unstable ankle fracture was created and fixed with a locking plate or a nail in a pairwise manner. The ankles showed significantly less stability and rotational stiffness properties after nail and plate fixations than the corresponding native ankles (p < 0.001 for all parameters). When comparing the two methods, both showed no differences in their range of motion (p = 0.694) and diastasis (p = 0.166). The nail also presented significantly greater rotational stiffness compared to the plate (p = 0.001). However, both fixations remained behind the native stability and rotational stiffness. Due to the comparable biomechanical properties of the nail and plate fixations, an early weight-bearing following nail fixation should be assessed on a case-by-case basis considering the severity of fractures.

Close-range 3D sensors based on the structured light principle have a constrained measuring range due to their depth of field (DOF). Focus stacking is a method to extend the DOF. The additional time to change the focus is a drawback in high-speed measurements. In our research, the method of chromatic focus stacking was applied to a high-speed 3D sensor with 180 fps frame rate. The extended DOF was evaluated by the distance-dependent 3D resolution derived from the 3D-MTF of a tilted edge. The conventional DOF of 14 mm was extended to 21 mm by stacking two foci at 455 and 520 nm wavelength. The 3D sensor allowed shape measurements with extended DOF within 44 ms.

In the treatment of ankle fractures, complications such as wound healing problems following open reduction and internal fixation are a major problem. An innovative alternative to this procedure offers a more minimally invasive nail stabilization. The purpose of this biomechanical study was to clarify whether this method was biomechanically comparable to the established method. First, the stability (range of motion, diastasis) and rotational stiffness of the native upper ankle were evaluated in eight pairs of native geriatric specimens. Subsequently, an unstable ankle fracture was created and fixed with a locking plate or a nail in a pairwise manner. The ankles showed significantly less stability and rotational stiffness properties after nail and plate fixations than the corresponding native ankles (p < 0.001 for all parameters). When comparing the two methods, both showed no differences in their range of motion (p = 0.694) and diastasis (p = 0.166). The nail also presented significantly greater rotational stiffness compared to the plate (p = 0.001). However, both fixations remained behind the native stability and rotational stiffness. Due to the comparable biomechanical properties of the nail and plate fixations, an early weight-bearing following nail fixation should be assessed on a case-by-case basis considering the severity of fractures.

Laser assisted powder bed fusion of Al-40 wt%Si using ultra-short laser pulses is presented. The effects of the pulse duration as well as the pulse energy on the melt pool size, solidification morphology and material properties have been investigated. The experiments have been carried out with a mode-locked fiber laser system delivering pulses from 500 fs up to 800 ps at a wavelength of 1030 nm. Comparative investigations have been performed using a continuous wave Yb-fiber laser operating at 1070 nm. The results show that the melt pool width is reduced at shorter pulse durations and higher repetition rates while maintaining the same average power. Additionally, keyhole melting is achieved in pulsed operation after exceeding the threshold fluence for single pulse ablation. In comparison to continuous wave radiation, powder bed fusion using ultra-short laser pulses leads to a more uniform melt pool shape with refined primary Si and eutectic structure that is accompanied with an improvement of the mechanical properties.

Here we present laser aided additive manufacturing of pure copper parts using ultrashort laser pulses. The process is based on the powder bed fusion of pure copper powder with grain sizes in the range of 5 μm – 15 μm. For processing, a fiber laser system delivering 500 fs pulses at a wavelengths of 515 nm was used. Robust 3D printed parts are generated featuring a high degree of resolution. The fabricated copper samples were characterized in terms of morphology, density distribution, thermal and electrical conductivity. The inner structure is revealed by x-ray computed tomography measurements.

Structured-light projection is a well-established optical method for the non-destructive contactless three-dimensional (3D) measurement of object surfaces. In particular, there is a great demand for accurate and fast 3D scans of human faces or facial regions of interest in medicine, safety, face modeling, games, virtual life, or entertainment. New developments of facial expression detection and machine lip-reading can be used for communication tasks, future machine control, or human-machine interactions. In such cases, 3D information may offer more detailed information than 2D images which can help to increase the power of current facial analysis algorithms. In this contribution, we present new 3D sensor technologies based on three different methods of near-infrared projection technologies in combination with a stereo vision setup of two cameras. We explain the optical principles of an NIR GOBO projector, an array projector and a modified multi-aperture projection method and compare their performance parameters to each other. Further, we show some experimental measurement results of applications where we realized fast, accurate, and irritation-free measurements of human faces.

A high-resolution mobile handheld scanning device suitable for 3D data acquisition and analysis for forensic investigations, rapid prototyping, design, quality management, and archaeology with a measurement volume of approximately 325 mm x 200 mm x 100mm and a lateral object resolution of 170 µm developed at our institute is introduced. The scanners weight is 4.4 kg with an optional color DLSR camera. The PC for measurement control and point calculation is included inside the housing. Power supply is realized by rechargeable batteries. Possible operation time is between 30 and 60 minutes. The object distance is between 400 and 500 mm, and the scan time for one 3D shot may vary between 0.1 and 0.5 seconds. The complete 3D result is obtained a few seconds after starting the scan. For higher quality 3D and color images the scanner is attachable to tripod use. Measurement objects larger than the measurement volume must be acquired partly. The different resulting datasets are merged using a suitable software module. The scanner has been successfully used in various applications.

A new, handheld 3D surface scanner was developed especially for underwater use until a diving depth of about 40 meters. Additionally, the sensor is suitable for the outdoor use under bad weather circumstance like splashing water, wind, and bad illumination conditions. The optical components of the sensor are two cameras and one projector. The measurement field is about 250 mm x 200 mm. The depth resolution is about 50 μm and the lateral resolution is approximately 150 μm. The weight of the scanner is about 10 kg. The housing was produced of synthetic powder using a 3D printing technique. The measurement time for one scan is between a third and a half second. The computer for measurement control and data analysis is already integrated into the housing of the scanner. A display on the backside presents the results of each measurement graphically for a real-time evaluation of the user during the recording of the measurement data.

The fast and precise deflection of electron-beams is mandatory for common electron beam tools and next generation multi-beam lithography systems. Electrostatic fields generated by an arrangement of electrodes with several electric potentials are used to control the electron beam. The miniaturization of such a beam-deflection system facilitates its integration at a favorable place within the electron-optical column. An efficient and accurate beam deflection with high sensitivity and low aberrations is consequently possible. The novel wire-based electrostatic deflector for electron-beam Lithography Tools presented in this paper strictly pursues this approach. Design investigations as well as manufacturing and alignment procedures are reported. 24 wire electrodes are arranged in a circular FEA-optimized pattern and kinematically well-defined mounted to a supporting structure using the Solderjet Bumping technique [2,3]. This flux free solder technique ensures vacuum compatible joints free of hydrocarbons and with an excellent long-term stability. A prototype of the wire deflector is measured by means of a high resolution X-ray computer tomography scanner (CT) [4]. The single wire elements of the wire deflector are symmetrically arranged to each other within an accuracy of a few microns.