Abstract
Industrial process tomography (IPT) based process control is an advisable approach in industrial heating processes for improving system efficiency and quality. When using it, appropriate dataflow pipelines and visualizations are key for domain users to implement precise data acquisition and analysis. In this article, we propose a complete data processing and visualizing workflow regarding a specific case—microwave tomography (MWT) controlled industrial microwave drying system. Furthermore, we present the up-to-date augmented reality (AR) technique to support the corresponding data visualization and on-site analysis. As a pioneering study of using AR to benefit IPT systems, the proposed AR module provides straightforward and comprehensible visualizations pertaining to the process data to the related users. Inside the dataflow of the case, a time reversal imaging algorithm, a post-imaging segmentation, and a volumetric visualization module are included. For the time reversal algorithm, we exhaustively introduce each step for MWT image reconstruction and then present the simulated results. For the post-imaging segmentation, an automatic tomographic segmentation algorithm is utilized to reveal the significant information contained in the reconstructed images. For volumetric visualization, the 3D generated information is displayed. Finally, the proposed AR system is integrated with the on-going process data, including reconstructed, segmented, and volumetric images, which are used for facilitating interactive on-site data analysis for domain users. The central part of the AR system is implemented by a mobile app that is currently supported on iOS/Android platforms.
Highlights
On the premises that some research has opened the horizon of adopting cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) to generate effective visualizations for Industrial process tomography (IPT) data, we have proposed a novel AR framework for better volumetric visualization and onsite analysis for MWT
We first propose a complete data processing and visualizing workflow in IPT system by using the MWT-controlled microwave drying case, we present a preliminary AR system in the same context to support complex visualization analysis
The overall realization of the reported AR framework is conducted by a mobile AR App run on smartphones/tablets, aiding our specific MWT controlled microwave drying process
Summary
The targets of this drying process are firstly heating the object foam placed on the conveyor belt and detecting the post-drying moisture distribution, by adopting the MWT technique. In this context, it is critical for domain users to comprehend and interpret the process data for intelligent control purposes. We propose a novel and comprehensive solution to support process-critical visualization analyses through the specific case–the MWT-controlled industrial drying processes–by exploiting the interactive augmented reality (AR) technique
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
