Depends really .. if the source quarry is pulling blocks and thin slicing them for tiles | counter tops then it's relatively easy (in the world of industrial mining) to photographically scan the top and bottom of every slice of stone after it's been cut to tile thickness.
A number of quarries already automate the slicing and "inspect" surfaces for defects via computer vision.
The trick is pattern recognition to catch things of interest so that if required the raw slices can be retrieved before they're shipped.
It's destructive tomography .. with an option to digitally reconstruct a solid, or even to physically rejoin slices.
A number of quarries already automate the slicing and "inspect" surfaces for defects via computer vision.
The trick is pattern recognition to catch things of interest so that if required the raw slices can be retrieved before they're shipped.
It's destructive tomography .. with an option to digitally reconstruct a solid, or even to physically rejoin slices.