3-dimensional surface imaging using Active Wavefront Sampling

A novel 3D surface imaging technique using Active Wavefront Sampling (AWS) is presented. In this technique, the optical wavefront traversing a lens is sampled at two or more off-axis locations and the resulting motion of each target feature is measured. This target feature image motion can be used to calculate the feature's distance to the camera. One advantage of this approach over traditional stereo techniques is that only one optical train and one sensor can be used to obtain depth information, thereby reducing the bulk and the potential cost of the equipment. AWS based systems are also flexible operationally in that the number of sampling positions can be increased or decreased to respectively raise the accuracy or to raise the processing speed of the system. Potential applications include general machine vision tasks, 3D endoscopy, and microscopy. The fundamental depth sensitivity of an AWS based system will be discussed, and practical implementations of the approach will be described. Algorithms developed to track target features in the images captured at different aperture sampling positions will be discussed, and a method for calibrating an AWS based method will also be described.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Frigerio, Federico, Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Douglas P. Hart.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38258

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/38258