Digital Image Correlation (DIC), a non-contact, full-field deformation measurement technique, has found widespread application in fields such as materials testing, structural analysis, and biomechanics. However, when confronted with two typical application scenarios—spherical curved structures and large-scale full-field measurements—the limitations of traditional single-camera DIC systems have become increasingly apparent. The emergence of multi-camera DIC technology offers a novel solution to these complex measurement challenges.

Complex lighting is a critical factor—one that cannot be overlooked—affecting the measurement accuracy of Digital Image Correlation (DIC). To obtain highly accurate and reliable DIC measurement results, lighting control must be regarded as a core component of equal importance to system calibration and speckle pattern preparation. By meticulously designing active, uniform illumination, strictly controlling the testing environment, optimizing camera settings, and ensuring high-quality speckle patterns—supplemented by appropriate image preprocessing and the selection of robust algorithms—the accuracy and reliability of DIC measurements can be maximized.

Acquiring high-quality, stable speckle images serves as the cornerstone for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of DIC measurements; however, complex lighting conditions often emerge as one of the primary factors that degrade image quality and introduce measurement errors. This paper primarily investigates the specific mechanisms through which complex lighting impacts DIC measurement accuracy, and proposes practical strategies to assist users in overcoming these "lighting" challenges, thereby enabling the acquisition of more reliable DIC measurement data.

2D-DIC measurement systems offer significantly reduced costs, rapid setup and calibration, streamlined data processing, and simplified operation; they demonstrate exceptional practical value in specific scenarios involving deformation measurement strictly within a plane—particularly where out-of-plane displacement (in the Z-direction) is minimal or negligible.

Throughout the development of DIC technology, 3D-DIC measurement systems have rapidly gained widespread adoption and established themselves as the mainstream standard. The emergence of 3D-DIC as the dominant DIC technology is primarily attributed to its ability to transcend planar limitations and comprehensively capture true deformation—specifically, the three-dimensional displacement field (U, V, W) and the full-field 3D strain tensor. Furthermore, its technical maturity and declining costs have endowed it with broader applicability across various fields.

In specific scenarios where its underlying planar assumption is strictly satisfied, 2D-DIC retains its advantages of low cost, high speed, and simple setup. However, for the vast majority of engineering problems involving the real three-dimensional world, the limitations of 2D-DIC—specifically, out-of-plane errors—render it incapable of meeting the requisite standards for accuracy and completeness. 3D-DIC addresses this fundamental shortcoming, offering a more versatile and reliable solution.

The measurement accuracy of DIC high-temperature strain analysis continues to advance within extreme high-temperature operating environments, enabling engineers to precisely capture the complete mechanical behavior of materials—from the elastic phase right up to the moment of fracture—under high-temperature conditions. This data is driving the evolution of next-generation aerospace materials toward becoming lighter, stronger, and more durable.

The application of Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation (3D-DIC) in high-temperature environments has rapidly evolved from laboratory-based feasibility validation to serving as a critical component in supporting engineering R&D and safety assessment. However, in the face of increasingly extreme temperatures, more complex operating conditions, and heightened demands for precision and efficiency, high-temperature DIC technology is currently flourishing along trajectories characterized by multi-dimensionality, intelligence, and the pursuit of extreme capabilities.

Applying Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation (3D-DIC) in extreme high-temperature environments represents a challenging frontier in scientific and technological research. Formidable obstacles—such as intense thermal radiation, speckle pattern degradation, thermal disturbances, and calibration drift—act as successive barriers, hindering a deep understanding of the behavior of materials and structures at elevated temperatures. However, a series of cutting-edge DIC technologies and solutions are continuously breaking through these bottlenecks, steadily expanding the measurement boundaries and application potential of high-temperature DIC.

In the aerospace sector—a journey characterized by the ceaseless pursuit of the limits of speed, efficiency, and reliability—high-temperature environments represent a formidable challenge that must be overcome. The DIC High-Temperature Strain Measurement System, with its unique capabilities for non-contact, high-precision, and full-field analysis, provides researchers with a visualization solution that offers deep insights into the mechanical characterization of materials and structures under high-temperature operating conditions.

Traditional contact-based measurement methods are rendered helpless in the face of high temperatures; however, the 3D Digital Image Correlation (3D-DIC) full-field testing system—leveraging its unique advantages of non-contact operation, full-field coverage, and high precision—has emerged as the "all-seeing eye" for gaining deep insights into the mechanical behavior of materials and structures in high-temperature environments.

Utilizing a high-speed DIC measurement system and FFT vibration modal analysis techniques, a vibration and modal analysis of a brake disc was conducted. By placing marker points on the surface of the brake disc and tracking their motion behavior during the vibration process, the modal testing and analysis of the brake disc were successfully realized.

In the realm of automotive braking safety, high-speed DIC measurement technology is profoundly empowering the research and development of braking systems. By capturing dynamic deformations at the microsecond level, engineers can precisely analyze the transient vibration modes and thermomechanical coupling deformations of brake discs under hammer excitation, thereby providing critical data support for NVH optimization.

In high-end manufacturing sectors—such as precision instrumentation and aerospace—the monitoring of millimeter-scale micro-vibrations (with amplitudes ranging from 0.1 to 10 mm) is directly critical to equipment reliability. While traditional sensors struggle to capture the intricate details of full-field deformation, 3D Digital Image Correlation (3D DIC) technology—boasting a displacement resolution of less than 0.01 pixels—is currently redefining the standards for precision in micro-vibration monitoring.

In the field of structural health monitoring, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is emerging as a revolutionary tool for vibration measurement and analysis. Employing a non-contact optical measurement approach, DIC technology tracks high-precision displacement data from speckle patterns on an object's surface to provide engineers with full-field, three-dimensional vibration responses—thereby fundamentally overcoming the single-point limitations inherent in traditional accelerometers.