An overview of constrained fitting optimization techniques for reverse engineering of mechanical parts

Reverse Engineering represents a long-term goal of computer science and engineering; it aims at the reconstruction of digital models from measured data by means of 3D mathematical surfaces and geometrical features representing the geometry of a physical part. In this paper, an overview of constrained fitting optimization methods specifically devised for the reconstruction of mechanical parts is proposed, highlighting the connections between the theoretical problem and some practical solutions. Furthermore, algorithmic procedures are provided in order to underline the main differences between the considered approaches. Critical aspects of constrained fitting and recent trends on Reverse Engineering are finally presented and discussed.