Feature inspection system

1 . A feature inspection system, said feature inspection system comprising:

a computing device;

a handheld feature inspection device configured for conducting discrete scans of localized areas of a workpiece to generate measurement data including fastener head height data for each fastener within the localized area of each scan, the handheld feature inspection device configured to be positioned by a human operator in relation to the workpiece, the handheld feature inspection device including a plurality of retroreflective tracking targets, and said handheld feature inspection device transmits said measurement data to said computing device;

a tracking subsystem comprising a plurality of motion capture cameras positioned around the workpiece, said tracking subsystem determines a position of said workpiece to generate a workpiece coordinate system, said tracking subsystem determines a position and an orientation of said handheld feature inspection device within said workpiece coordinate system relative to said workpiece by tracking said plurality of retroreflective tracking targets via said plurality of motion capture cameras, wherein said position of said workpiece, said workpiece coordinate system, and said position and said orientation of said handheld feature inspection device are transmitted to said computing device;

wherein said computing device is configured to:

access a feature map comprising a plurality of predefined feature locations within said workpiece coordinate system, wherein each predefined feature location is associated with an engineering specification;

identify one of the plurality of predefined features based on the determined position and orientation of the handheld feature inspection device, wherein said identifying is performed independently of the measurement data generated by the handheld feature inspection device because said identifying is based on said tracking of said plurality of retroreflective tracking targets by said plurality of motion capture cameras rather than on analysis of said measurement data;

compare the measurement data from the handheld feature inspection device with the engineering specification associated with the identified feature to determine a conformance status; and

generate, on a real-time interface, a graphical representation indicating the conformance status of the identified feature.

2 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein said handheld feature inspection device captures data or imagery of said at least one feature, wherein said data or imagery of said at least one feature is processed by said feature inspection device or said computing device to generate said measurement data relating to said at least one feature.

3 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein said handheld feature inspection device is one of an OTIS scanning device, a LOTIS scanning device, a depth indicator, or an isoscope.

4 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein said handheld feature inspection device includes a scanner, said scanner is one of a three-dimensional surface inspection sensor, a camera, or an optical sensor.

5 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein said handheld feature inspection device includes a scanner, said scanner is a contactless sensor or a tactile sensor.

6 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , further comprising another feature inspection device for performing a different measuring function.

7 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the real-time interface is presented on an augmented reality projector operatively connected to the handheld feature inspection device.

8 . The feature inspection system of claim 7 , wherein the augmented reality projector is configured to display the graphical representation indicating the conformance status directly onto the workpiece.

9 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the tracking subsystem generates the workpiece coordinate system by tracking a plurality of reference targets positioned on a floor-mounted assembly jig holding the workpiece.

10 . The feature inspection system of claim 9 , wherein the tracking subsystem generates the workpiece coordinate system by performing a photogrammetry survey of the plurality of reference targets to create aligned point sets from tooling reference locations.

11 . The feature inspection system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of reference targets comprise tooling ball locators.

12 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the handheld feature inspection device comprises a contact pad configured to contact the workpiece during each discrete scan of a localized area.

13 . The feature inspection system of claim 1 , wherein the handheld feature inspection device is configured to conduct discrete scans of localized areas of the workpiece containing thirty fasteners or less and wherein the workpiece includes thousands of fasteners.

14 . A feature inspection system, said feature inspection system comprising:

a computing device;

a tracking subsystem comprising a plurality of motion capture cameras positioned around a workpiece, said tracking subsystem determines a position of the workpiece to generate a workpiece coordinate system, wherein said position of said workpiece and said workpiece coordinate system are transmitted to said computing device;

at least one tool having a plurality of retroreflective tracking targets connected thereto, wherein said retroreflective tracking targets are utilized by said tracking subsystem to determine a position and orientation of said at least one tool within said workpiece coordinate system by tracking said plurality of retroreflective tracking targets via said plurality of motion capture cameras, and wherein said at least one tool includes a handheld feature inspection device configured for conducting discrete scans of localized areas of said workpiece to generate measurement data including fastener head height data for each fastener within the localized area of each scan, the handheld feature inspection device configured to be positioned by a human operator in relation to the workpiece;

wherein said computing device processes said position and orientation of said least one tool, and, wherein the at least one tool is the handheld feature inspection device, is further configured to:

access a feature map comprising a plurality of predefined feature locations within said workpiece coordinate system, wherein each predefined feature location is associated with an engineering specification;

identify one of the plurality of predefined features based on the determined position and orientation of the handheld feature inspection device, wherein said identifying is performed independently of the measurement data generated by the handheld feature inspection device because said identifying is based on said tracking of said plurality of retroreflective tracking targets by said plurality of motion capture cameras rather than on analysis of said measurement data;

compare the measurement data from the handheld feature inspection device with the engineering specification associated with the identified feature to determine a conformance status; and

generate, on a real-time interface, a graphical representation indicating the conformance status of the identified feature,

wherein said position and orientation of each of said at least one tool is mapped within said workpiece coordinate system in a real-time manner.

15 . The feature inspection system of claim 14 further comprising an augmented reality projector operatively connected to said computing device, wherein said augmented reality projector provides a user interface for displaying at least one of said workpiece orientation system, said workpiece within said workpiece orientation system, said position and orientation of said at least one tool within said workpiece orientation system, measurement data from said feature inspection device.

16 . A feature inspection system, said feature inspection system comprising:

a computing device comprising a plurality of computers;

a handheld feature inspection device configured for conducting discrete scans of localized areas of a workpiece to generate measurement data including fastener head height data for each fastener within the localized area of each scan, the handheld feature inspection device configured to be positioned by a human operator against said workpiece, wherein the handheld feature inspection device includes a plurality of retroreflective tracking targets relating to said at least one feature, and said handheld feature inspection device transmits said measurement data to one of said computers;

a tracking subsystem comprising a plurality of motion capture cameras positioned around said workpiece, said tracking subsystem determines a position of said workpiece to generate a workpiece coordinate system, said tracking subsystem determines a position and an orientation of said handheld feature inspection device within said workpiece coordinate system relative to said workpiece by tracking said plurality of retroreflective tracking targets via said plurality of motion capture cameras, wherein said position of said workpiece, said workpiece coordinate system, and said position and said orientation of said handheld feature inspection device are transmitted to said computing device; and

an augmented reality projector operatively connected to said computing device;

wherein said computing device is configured to:

access a feature map comprising a plurality of predefined feature locations within said workpiece coordinate system, wherein each predefined feature location is associated with an engineering specification;

identify one of the plurality of predefined features based on the determined position and orientation of the handheld feature inspection device, wherein said identifying is performed independently of the measurement data generated by the handheld feature inspection device because said identifying is based on said tracking of said plurality of retroreflective tracking targets by said plurality of motion capture cameras rather than on analysis of said measurement data;

compare the measurement data from the handheld feature inspection device with the engineering specification associated with the identified feature to determine a conformance status; and

generate, on the augmented reality projector, a real-time graphical representation indicating the conformance status of the identified feature.

17 . The feature inspection system of claim 16 , wherein said handheld feature inspection device captures data or imagery of said at least one feature, wherein said data or imagery of said at least one feature is processed by said handheld feature inspection device or said computing device to generate said measurement data relating to said at least one feature.

18 . The feature inspection system of claim 16 , wherein said handheld feature inspection device includes a scanner, said scanner is one of a three-dimensional surface inspection sensor, a camera, or an optical sensor.

19 . The feature inspection system of claim 16 , further comprising another feature inspection device configured to perform a separate measuring function.