Patent ID: 6590669
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: G01B,G06T

Abstract:
A method for optically detecting the shape of a three-dimensional object comprising the steps of:a) positioning an object, at least one light source and at least one camera each in a selected first position in three dimensions; b) detecting the respective selected first positions of the object, of the light source and of the camera; c) illuminating the object by the light source with the object, the light source, and the camera in their respective first positions; d) recording images of the illuminated object while the object, the light source and the camera are in their respective first positions; e) repeating steps a)-d) for a plurality of additional positions of each of the object, the light source and the camera; f) determining the surface normal to a plurality of surface points on the object from the corresponding positions on a plurality of the recorded images using a photometric stereo technique; g) identifying corresponding image points in a plurality of the recorded images from the corresponding surface normals using a binocular stereo technique; h) determining a plurality of image point vectors from the sets of corresponding image points and respective object surface normals; and i) defining the three-dimensional shape of the object from the image point vectors, and the respective positions of the camera, the light source and the object.