SBIR Phase II: Characterization of Three Dimensional Discontinuity Properties from Digital Images of Rock Masses

这一小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目将进一步研究两种表征岩石裂缝的创新技术。第一项技术涉及从数字图像中的裂缝痕迹中提取3D裂缝属性的图像处理算法。第二项技术涉及使用激光扫描仪来提取暴露的断裂面的3D特性。这两种技术相辅相成，在某些情况下，压裂的特征最好用其中一种技术或两种技术来分析。第二阶段研究的第一个目标是继续改进这两项技术，并将所有不同的算法集成到一个用户友好的单一软件工具中。第二个目标是通过综合研究和实地研究彻底评估这两项技术的误差来源，并为各种应用制定一套推荐的实地程序和设备，以优化技术并尽量减少误差。第三个目标是与软件的潜在客户以及对软件开发和验证合作感兴趣的团体发展关系。一旦该软件的测试版开发完成，该软件将被提供给一些客户进行验证和评估。在岩石工程市场的广泛范围内，这项创新已被确定为四个不同的细分市场。每个细分市场都有不同的最终用途：采矿、岩土、石油和环境。市场研究和来自不同市场参与者的支持函表明，目前由岩石工程专业人员手动执行的任务存在自动化的市场需求。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will further the investigation of two innovative technologies for characterizing fractures in rock masses. The first technology involves image-processing algorithms for the extraction of 3D fracture properties from fracture traces in digital images. The second technology involves the use of laser-scanners to extract the 3D properties of exposed fracture surfaces. The two technologies complement each other well and there are situations where the characterization of fracturing is best analyzed with one or the other or both technologies. The first objective of the Phase II research is to continue to improve the two technologies, and to integrate all the various algorithms into a single user-friendly software tool. The second objective is to thoroughly evaluate sources of error in both technologies through synthetic and field studies, and to develop a set of recommended field procedures and equipment for various applications to optimize the techniques and minimize errors. The third objective is to develop relationships with potential customers for the software and also groups interested in collaborating on software development and validation. Once a beta version of the software is developed, this software will be provided to some customers for validation and assessment.Within the broad scope of the rock engineering market, four distinct market segments have been identified for this innovation. Each market segment has a separate end-use application: mining, geotechnical, petroleum, and environment. Market research and letters of support from various market participants have demonstrated that a market need exists for automation of tasks currently performed manually by rock engineering professionals.