3D Photometric Stereo Microscope

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information from potential vendors for a 3D photometric stereo microscope system. The system will be used for research in surface topography and forensic analysis of toolmarks. The microscope should be able to acquire 3D scans of surfaces with steep local slope angles and made of transparent or translucent materials. The system should include a photometric-stereo type of operation, digital imaging components, array of LED light sources, and necessary optical components. The vendor should provide a Microsoft Windows-based computer system capable of operating the microscope and performing necessary processing or analysis of the captured scans. The system should have a "live view" for real-time viewing of samples, stitching routine for combining multiple scan images, and capability to store scan data to the hard drive and export it in general-purpose formats. • The microscope system should meet or exceed the minimum requirements specified in the notice. • The system should be able to accurately scan the surfaces of transparent materials, such as glass, and translucent materials, such as some polymers used in 3D printing. • The vendor should provide any necessary calibration artifacts and consumable supplies required to operate the microscope. • The system should have basic analysis routines, including plane fitting, filtering, and calculation of surface roughness parameters.