Novel Approach to 3D Imaging Based on Fringe Projection Technique

Abstract

In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) imaging system based on Fringe Projection Profilometry (FPP) has been developed tremendously fast [1]. However, all current systems can provide either fast speed [2] or high accuracy measurement, but not both. In addition, very few of them can deal with multiple complex-shaped and separated 3D objects at real-time speed. This proposed paper presents a novel approach to a real-time FPP-based 3D imaging system that is able to handle multiple 3D objects at super high-speed, high-accuracy, and full-field measurement for practical applications, such as object detection, digital model generation, reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, product inspection, quality control, etc. The approach takes advantage of a special design for FPP-based 3D system that utilizes the color wheel mechanism of single chip projector to achieve real-time speed. Furthermore, multiple-frequency technique is fully developed to cope with multiple objects as well as to significantly increase the accuracy. The system with this approach is capable of imaging at 30 3D-views per second with an accuracy of 1/2,000 or 10 3D-views per second with a very high accuracy of 1/12,000.