This video covers the fundamentals of creating an effective speckle pattern for digital image correlation. In digital image correlation, one or more cameras take a series of images as a specimen deforms. Measurements are taken by precisely analyzing the position of unique groups of speckles on the surface of the object as it moves through successive images. Using an optimal speckle pattern is one of the most important factors in reducing measurement noise and improving overall DIC results, therefore, understanding the requirements of an ideal speckle pattern and how to apply one to a specimen is a vital part of DIC. In this tutorial, we briefly discuss the theoretical background of DIC, then we’ll cover general speckle pattern requirements and outline some common application methods.

Interesting research was presented recently describing an alternative speckling technique for digital image correlation. In this work, a new methodology featuring thermal marking is deployed to carry out mechanical analysis and obtain deformation and displacement data using VIC-3D. It's early days for this research, but it shows a great deal of promise for biomechanical applications, and we're excited to see where it goes in the future.