Abstract: A method and system for generating and maintaining an immutable electronic ledger. The method comprises receiving, accessing, and/or modifying one or more decision-influencing factors relating to a commodity and/or a product. The method comprises autonomously storing the one or more decision-influencing factors as a part of the immutable electronic ledger in response to said receiving, accessing, and/or modifying. The immutable electronic ledger serves as a record of decision-influencing factors, that is free of hindsight, for a business entity in an evaluation of a decision associated with the commodity and/or product and influenced by the one or more decision-influencing factors.

Abstract: A system and method for rapid evaluation of raw material price risk mitigation contracts aided by simulations driven by an end-user's selection of a settlement parameter, which enable transparent and quick evaluations of one or more contracts. The simulations are presented on a user interface that provides for a unique communication of information relevant to the one or more contracts. An end-user's selection of a settlement parameter is enabled by a digital slider, the actuation of which presents updated simulations in substantially real-time.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating a digital model of at least a part of an object referenced to a global coordinate system. An initial digital model, referenced to a local coordinate system associated with the optical device and representative of the respective part, is provided using an optical device at a relative location with respect to the object. The optical device has a plurality of visually exposed optical markers, at known locations with respect to the optical device and referenced to a marker coordinate system. The location of the optical device with respect to an external camera arrangement is determined, based on relating the relative locations of the markers with respect to one another, as they appear from a viewpoint of the external camera arrangement, to their relative locations as referenced to the marker coordinate system. The camera viewpoint is at a known location referenced to the global coordinate system.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating a digital model of at least a part of an object referenced to a global coordinate system. An initial digital model, referenced to a local coordinate system associated with the optical device and representative of the respective part, is provided using an optical device at a relative location with respect to the object. The optical device has a plurality of visually exposed optical markers, at known locations with respect to the optical device and referenced to a marker coordinate system. The location of the optical device with respect to an external camera arrangement is determined, based on relating the relative locations of the markers with respect to one another, as they appear from a viewpoint of the external camera arrangement, to their relative locations as referenced to the marker coordinate system. The camera viewpoint is at a known location referenced to the global coordinate system.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for imaging and reconstructing topographical features of an object, in which an illumination system illuminates the object and images may be acquired by an image acquisition system, and wherein at least two components including the object, the illumination system, and the image acquisition system are mounted to or otherwise associated with independently controllable motion inducing mechanisms, in particular robotic arms, such as to enable at least two of the components to be independently moved, to provide optimum illumination and viewing conditions wherein to obtain image data. The image data is configured to enable topographical features of the object to be reconstructed.

Abstract: A method for reconstructing 3D surface structure of an object uses a two stage approach. In the first stage, a first set of images is obtained, and a spatial coding technique, such as a random grid, is used for correspondence mapping of coordinates from a first image to a second image of an object, and the images are obtained at different angles with respect to the object. In the second stage, a second structured illumination, typically comprising a striped grid, is used to obtain a second set of images, typically comprising two further images of the object. The mapping provided by the first stage provides proper labeling of the grid between these two images of the second set, and enables accurate matching of elements between these images. Triangulation or epipole methods can then be used for obtaining the 3D coordinates of the surface being reconstructed.

Abstract: A system and method are described for aligning a locally-reconstructed three-dimensional object, whose local reconstruction is relative to a local coordinate system, to a global coordinate system by using pre-mapped control points which are projected onto one or more of the images that may be used to generate the local reconstruction. A system includes a control point information generator and an alignment generator. The control point information generator is configured to identify in at least image associated with a local reconstruction of the object a projection of at least one control point in the scene onto the at least one image, and generate local projected coordinate information indicating coordinates of the projection in the at least one image.

Abstract: A system for reconstructing the surface geometry of an object includes a three-view optic head, a mechanical manipulator, a local 3D surface geometry reconstruction unit and a surface geometry stitching unit. The three-view optic head is operative to generate at least three views of at least a portion of the object. The mechanical manipulator is operative to vary the relative orientation of the object and the optic head, at a precision less than the a predetermined degree of precision, from a first relative orientation in which a first portion of the object is visible to at least one second relative orientation in which a second portion of the object, which overlaps the first portion, is visible. The local 3D surface geometry reconstruction unit is operative to generate local reconstructions of the surface geometries of the first and second portions of the object, based on at least two of three views of the first and second portions generated by the optic head.

Abstract: A system for reconstructing the surface geometry of an object includes a three-view optic head, a mechanical manipulator, a local 3D surface geometry reconstruction unit and a surface geometry stitching unit. The three-view optic head is operative to generate at least three views of at least a portion of the object. The mechanical manipulator is operative to vary the relative orientation of the object and the optic head, at a precision less than the a predetermined degree of precision, from a first relative orientation in which a first portion of the object is visible to at least one second relative orientation in which a second portion of the object, which overlaps the first portion, is visible. The local 3D surface geometry reconstruction unit is operative to generate local reconstructions of the surface geometries of the first and second portions of the object, based on at least two of three views of the first and second portions generated by the optic head.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for stitching a plurality of reconstructions of three-dimensional surface features of at least one object in a scene to relate the reconstructions to a common coordinate system. Each reconstruction is generated from a plurality of two-dimensional images of the scene, and each reconstruction is defined relative to a respective one of a plurality of reconstruction coordinate systems defined relative to one of the images in the scene. The system generates, from at least some of the images, values for translational and rotational components relating a respective reconstruction coordinate system to the common coordinate system. Thereafter, the system uses the values of the translational and rotational components to convert coordinates of the surface features in the respective reconstruction coordinate systems to the common coordinate system.

Abstract: A system for reconstructing the surface geometry of an object includes a three-view optic head, a mechanical manipulator, a local 3D surface geometry reconstruction unit and a surface geometry stitching unit. The three-view optic head is operative to generate at least three views of at least a portion of the object. The mechanical manipulator is operative to vary the relative orientation of the object and the optic head, at a precision less than the a predetermined degree of precision, from a first relative orientation in which a first portion of the object is visible to at least one second relative orientation in which a second portion of the object, which overlaps the first portion, is visible. The local 3D surface geometry reconstruction unit is operative to generate local reconstructions of the surface geometries of the first and second portions of the object, based on at least two of three views of the first and second portions generated by the optic head.