Raindrop Geomagic
Software Plays Critical Role in Shuttle's Return to Flight
(13 July 2005) Geomagic Studio,
Raindrop Geomagic's reverse-engineering software, is playing a critical role in
returning NASA's space shuttle to flight.
Geomagic
Studio will be used to reduce risk and increase safety for the shuttle mission.
As the shuttle nears the space station, it will roll over to expose its
underside. Video surveys and detailed 3D scanning inspections using a
50-foot-long extension of the Discovery's robot arm will be conducted to
determine damage to the tiles underneath the wings.
Scan data will be
transmitted to Houston, where Geomagic Studio will be used to process the data
and create a 3D model of the damaged tiles. The 3D model will provide the data
to create tool paths for cutting facsimiles of potentially dangerous damage
into an array of test tiles. The reproductions of the damaged tiles will be
tested in NASA's ArcJet facility to see if they can withstand the heat and
stress of re-entry.
If tile damage is considered too extensive for
safe re-entry and return to Earth, the situation could call for a spacewalk by
astronauts to make repairs. In this case, the test tiles will be used to
develop the step-by-step repair process that would be used during the
spacewalk.
Raindrop Geomagic engineers have been placed on call in
case their technical assistance is needed during the flight.
"We feel
privileged that NASA has selected Geomagic Studio software for this critical
role," says Rob Black, Raindrop Geomagic's account executive for the project.
"It is a major validation of our software's high level of automation, speed,
reliability and accuracy."
About Raindrop Geomagic - the 3D digitizing
and processing leader
Raindrop Geomagic simplifies 3D digitizing and
processing, enabling customers to accelerate their design-build cycles and
ensure quality at every step. More than 3,000 professionals in industries such
as automotive, aerospace, medical devices and consumer products use Geomagic
software. They benefit from unprecedented time savings, fast learning curves,
increased productivity, and high levels of user satisfaction. Raindrop Geomagic
has headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C., subsidiaries in Europe and
Asia, and distributors world-wide.
(source: Raindrop
Geomagic)