  The optimization of surface finish to improve performance occurs largely
through trial and error, despite significant advancements in the relevant
science. There are three central challenges that account for this disconnect:
(1) the challenge of integration of many different types of measurement for the
same surface to capture the multi-scale nature of roughness; (2) the technical
complexity of implementing spectral analysis methods, and of applying
mechanical or numerical models to describe surface performance; (3) a lack of
consistency between researchers and industries in how surfaces are measured,
quantified, and communicated. Here we present a freely-available internet-based
application which attempts to overcome all three challenges. First, the
application enables the user to upload many different topography measurements
taken from a single surface, including using different techniques, and then
integrates all of them together to create a digital surface twin. Second, the
application calculates many of the commonly used topography metrics, such as
root-mean-square parameters, power spectral density (PSD), and autocorrelation
function (ACF), as well as implementing analytical and numerical calculations,
such as boundary element modeling (BEM) for elastic and plastic deformation.
Third, the application serves as a repository for users to securely store
surfaces, and if they choose, to share these with collaborators or even publish
them (with a digital object identifier) for all to access. The primary goal of
this application is to enable researchers and manufacturers to quickly and
easily apply cutting-edge tools for the characterization and
properties-modeling of real-world surfaces. An additional goal is to advance
the use of open-science principles in surface engineering by providing a FAIR
database where researchers can choose to publish surface measurements for all
to use.
