Three-dimensional shape measurement of non-full-field reflective surfaces.

We describe a technique for the measurement of non-full-field reflective surfaces by using phase-stepping profilometry. We explain the principles of phase demodulation and discuss three-dimensional (3-D) height reconstruction in the case of measuring surfaces with reflective properties such as plain glass and mirrored glass. A number of required calibration algorithms are described to obtain surface slopes and reconstructed 3-D heights of the whole surface. Masking for non-full-field objects and the surface reconstruction procedure are demonstrated mathematically and algorithmically. Several experimental results are given for glass with different shapes and defects. Measurement of a spherical mirror with a known radius has also allowed us to show the performance of the proposed technique. This allows for the possibility to compare 3-D data from the known object with data taken from the measurement system.

Quantization error of CCD cameras and their influence on phase calculation in fringe pattern analysis.

We present an investigation into the phase errors that occur in fringe pattern analysis that are caused by quantization effects. When acquisition devices with a limited value of camera bit depth are used, there are a limited number of quantization levels available to record the signal. This may adversely affect the recorded signal and adds a potential source of instrumental error to the measurement system. Quantization effects also determine the accuracy that may be achieved by acquisition devices in a measurement system. We used the Fourier fringe analysis measurement technique. However, the principles can be applied equally well for other phase measuring techniques to yield a phase error distribution that is caused by the camera bit depth.

Technique for phase measurement and surface reconstruction by use of colored structured light.

We present a new method for improving the measurement of three-dimensional (3-D) shapes by using color information of the measured scene as an additional parameter. The widest used algorithms for 3-D surface measurement by use of structured fringe patterns are phase stepping and Fourier fringe analysis. There are a number of problems and limitations inherent in these algorithms that include: that the phase maps produced are wrapped modulo 2pi, that in some cases the acquired fringe pattern does not fill the field of view, that there may be spatially isolated areas, and that there is often invalid and/or noisy data. The new method presented to our knowledge for the first time here uses multiple colored fringe patterns, which are projected at different angles onto the measured scene. These patterns are analyzed with a specially adapted multicolor version of the standard Fourier fringe analysis method. In this way a number of the standard difficulties outlined above are addressed.