System and method for rapid shape digitizing and adaptive mesh generation

• US 6,205,243 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andreas Acquisitions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Viewpoint Mhc
• Inventors: Petrov, Michael, Lebedev, Alexei, Migdal, Alexander A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERALI, ISHRAT I
• Application Number:
  US09/493,715
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 382/106, 382/154, 382/276, 382/285, 382/286, 348/42, 348/128, 356/376, 356/394, 345/425, 345/419, 250/559.23, 250/559.31
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2518 Projection by scanning of the object
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/51 using colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/521 from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/001 Model-based coding, e.g. wire frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0077 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 : Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0096 : Synchronisation or controlling aspects

Abstract

System and method for rapid collection of data points and construction of a computer model based on a multi-resolution mesh to describe the surface contours and color of an object. The system collects data by projecting shapes of light against the object and collecting (from a position of triangulation relative to the light projector) images of the light as it reflects from the object. The system and method of the present invention are comprised of a multiple laser stripe generation process to project a number of light shapes against the object, the collection of one or more reflected laser stripes in a single image of an images collector to gather sufficient information to reproduce points on the surface of the object. The system compresses the data associated with collected points, which allows for accurate values for the contours of the object to subpixel accuracy. A multi-resolution analysis, which maintains more points to resolve fine details and removes points to further smooth regions of the objects, leads to significant data compression. The adaptive mesh, consisting of the connection of polygonal finite elements, is automatically generated by the system and is comprised to create multi-resolution meshes at different tolerances. The system and method of the present invention is portable, processes rapidly enough to take 3-D images of animate objects, can be implemented using commercially available equipment, and produces accurate models of objects.

Claims

1. A system for measuring 3-D shape of an object by determining 3D X,Y,Z coordinates for the object, which comprises:

a light source for outputting a beam of light;

a light positioning device positioned relative to said light source for directing said beam of light toward said object, said light positioning device having variable orientation so as to direct said beam of light to a plurality of discernable positions about said object, said light positioning device further accepting as input signals to direct said light positioning device to achieve specific orientations;

an image capturing device for capturing a series of single frame images of information describing in 2-dimensional coordinates the location of a contour of said beam of light as reflected from said object and outputting said single frame images, each single frame image being captured in a predetermined image-capturing time period, said image capturing device being positioned at a location along a first line to said object for capturing direct views of said object and said single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, wherein said light positioning device is positioned at a known distance from said image capturing device along a second line extending between said light positioning device and said image capturing device, said second line extending at a known angle from said first line and with the said beam of light from the said light positioning device forming an angle in relation to the first line at each of the variable orientations for use in triangulation;

a computer processor coupled to a memory, an input, and an output, said output being coupled to said image capturing device and said light positioning device, said input being coupled to said image capturing device, said computer processor outputting said signals to said light positioning device to control the orientation of said light positioning device so as to direct said beam of light from said light source to said plurality of discernable positions about said object within said image-capturing time period, said computer processor further outputting a signal to command said image capturing device to capture said series of single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object,

the light positioning device further arranged to position the beam of light at a first location on the object and the image capturing device capturing a first image of the object with the light bream reflecting from said first location on the object;

the light positioning device further arranged to direct the beam of light so as to position the beam of light in a plurality of additional locations about the object in relation to the first location on the object with the imaging capturing device capturing a second image of the object showing the object with the beam of light reflecting at the plurality of additional locations as having been positioned by movement of the light positioning device during the image-capturing time period; and

said computer processor accepting as input from said image capturing device said first and second images of said beams of light as reflected from said object with said computer processor processing the second image to determine the 3-D X,Y,Z coordinates of the reflections of the beams of light on the object based on the relative positions of the image collection device and the light positioning device, said angle of the beam of light from the light positioning device at the time of positioning and the information contained in the second image, with said angle of the beam of light, for use in triangulation, for one of the plurality of additional locations in the second image being identified based on the information concerning the location for the beam of light in the first image.

2. A system for reproducing 3D shape of an object, which comprises:

a light source for outputting a beam of light;

a light positioning device positioned relative to said light source for directing said beam of light toward said object, said light positioning device having variable orientation so as to direct said beam of light to a plurality of discernable positions about said object, said light positioning device further accepting as input signals to direct said light positioning device to achieve specific orientations;

an image capturing device for capturing a series of single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object and outputting said single frame images with each single frame image comprising a two-dimensional array of light intensity information, each single frame image being captured in a predetermined image-capturing time period, said image capturing device being positioned at a location along a first line to said object for capturing direct views of said object and said single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, wherein said light positioning device is positioned at a known distance from said image capturing device along a second line extending between said light positioning device and said image capturing device, said second line extending at a known angle from said first line with the beam of light as positioned by the light positioning device having an associated angle based on the relationship between the first line and the second line;

a computer comprised of a processor coupled to a memory, an input, and an output, said output being coupled to said image capturing device and said light positioning device, said input being coupled to said image capturing device, said computer outputting said signals to said light positioning device to control the orientation of said light positioning device so as to direct said beam of light from said light source to said plurality of discernable positions about said object, said computer further outputting a signal to command said image capturing device to capture said series of single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, said computer accepting as input from said image capturing device said single frame images of said light beam as reflected from said object;

wherein the processor outputs a first command signal directing said light positioning device to achieve a chosen orientation enabling the beam of light to be positioned at a first chosen position on said object, whereby said beam of light at said first chosen position divides the surface of said object into a first half and a second half, and wherein said processor accepts as input a first single frame image of said beam of light as it reflected from said first chosen position on said object, and wherein said processor outputs additional signals to direct said light positioning device'"'"'s orientation such that the beam of light will be directed to a second chosen position in the first half and, based on the third signal, the beam of light will be directed to a third chosen position in the second half, wherein said processor accepts as input a second single frame image of said beam of light as it reflects from said second and third chosen positions on said object; and

the processor further arranged to determine a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates representative of a three-dimensional profile of said object based on said signals representative of said detected contour line for each image frame by triangulation, by;

(i) identifying a 2D location coordinate for each signal that describes the reflection of the detected contour line the said first single frame image;

(ii) identifying a 2D location coordinate for the one of the signals that describes one of the reflections of the contour lines in the said second single frame image;

(iii) confirming the associated angle for the said 2D location coordinate in the second frame image by comparing the position of the 2D location coordinate in the said second single frame image to one of the coordinates of the 2D coordinates determined for the first single frame image; and

(iv) calculating a 3D X,Y,Z coordinate for the 2D location coordinate in the second single frame image, based on the associated angle confirmed in (iii) above.

3. A system for reproducing 3-D shape of an object, which comprises:

a light source for outputting a beam of light;

a light positioning device positioned relative to said light source for directing said beam of light toward said object in a plurality of discernable positions about said object, said light positioning device further accepting as input signals to direct said light positioning device to achieve specific orientations;

an image capturing device for capturing a series of single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, each single frame image being captured during a predetermined image-capturing time period, said image capturing device being positioned at a location along a first line to said object for capturing direct views of said object and said single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, wherein said light positioning device is positioned at a known distance from said image capturing device along a second line extending between said light positioning device and said image capturing device, said second line extending at a known angle from said first line with the beam of light as positioned by the light positioning device having an associated angle based on the relationship between the first line and the second line; and

a processor coupled to a memory, a timekeeping device, an input, and an output, said output being coupled to said image capturing device and said light positioning device, said input being coupled to said image capturing device, said processor outputting said signals to said light positioning device to control the orientation of said light positioning device so as to direct said beam of light from said light source to said plurality of discernable positions about said object, said processor accepting as input from said image capturing device said single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object;

wherein said processor synchronizes operation of said image capturing device to the operation of said light positioning device by;

i) outputting a signal to command said image capturing device to capture said series of single frame images;

ii) noting the time first single frame image information arrives at said input of said processor;

iii) determining when said image capturing device will next capture an image based on said predetermined image-capturing time period and a predetermined output travel time period from said image capturing device to the input of said computer;

iv) outputting a signal directing said light positioning device to change its orientation so as to direct said beam of light to a first position about said object within the time taken by the image capturing device for capturing a first images;

v) outputting a signal directing said light positioning device to change its orientation so as to direct said beam of light to a second and a third position on said object within the time taken by the image capturing device for capturing a first image; and

said processor accepting as input from said image capturing device said first and second single frame images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, with said processor processing the second single frame image to determine the 3-D X,Y,Z coordinates of the reflections of the beams of light from the object based on the relative positions of the image capturing device and the light positioning device, the said angle of the beam of light from the light positioning device at the time of positioning and the information contained in the second single frame image, with said associated angle of the beam of light for one of the plurality of positions in the second single frame image being identified based on the information concerning the location information for the beam of light the first image.

4. A system for reproducing 3-D shape of an object, which comprises:

a light source for outputting a beam of light;

a light positioning device positioned relative to said light source for directing said beam of light toward said object in a plurality of discernable positions about said object, said light positioning device further accepting as input signals to direct said light positioning device to achieve specific orientations;

an image capturing device for capturing a series of images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, each image being captured during a predetermined image-capturing time period, said image capturing device being positioned at a location along a first line to said object for capturing direct views of said object and said images of said beam of light as reflected from said object with each image comprising a two-dimensional array of light intensity information, wherein said light positioning device is positioned at a known distance from said image capturing device along a second line extending between said light positioning device and said image capturing device, said second line extending at a known angle from said first line with the beam of light as Positioned by the light positioning device having an associated angle that is determinable from the relationship between the first line and the second line;

a processor coupled to a memory, a timekeeping device, an input, and an output, said output being coupled to said image capturing device and said light positioning device, said input being coupled to said image capturing device, said processor outputting said signals to said light positioning device to control the orientation of said light positioning device so as to direct said beam of light from said light source to said plurality of discernable locations about said object during said predetermined image-capturing time period, said processor further outputting a signal to command said image capturing device to capture said series of images of said beam of light as reflected from said object, said processor accepting as input from said image capturing device said images of said beam of light as reflected from said object;

wherein operation of said image capturing device is synchronized to operation of said light positioning device by said processor, the processor;

i) outputting a first command signal directing said light positioning device to assume a chosen orientation enabling said beam of light to be positioned at a first chosen location on said object at a position having an associated angle of X degrees, where X is a number between 0 and 180 degrees;

ii) outputting a signal to said image capturing device to direct said image capturing device to capture said series of images;

iii) accepting as input a first image of the beam of light as reflected from said first chosen location on said object;

iv) storing the time said first image information arrived at said input of said processor;

v) determining when said image capturing device will next capture a second image based on the predetermined image-capturing time period and a predetermined output travel time period from said image capturing device to said input of said computer; and

vi) outputting a second and third command signal to direct said light positioning device'"'"'s orientation during time period when said image capturing device captures said second image such that the light positioning is arranged to position said beam of light at two locations, each location having associated angles that are smaller than and greater than the associated angle for the stripe of light at the first location, wherein the angle associated with the stripe of light in the second location having R degrees, where R is a number which is D degrees smaller than the angle X associated with first light location such that R=X−

D, and the angle associated with the stripe of light in the third location having X+D degrees signal, the beam of light will be directed to a;

vii) accepting as input a second image of the beam of light as reflected from said second and third chosen locations on said object; and

said processor further arranged to process the second image to determine the 3-D X,Y,Z coordinates of the reflections of the beams of light on the object based on the relative positions of the image capturing device and the light positioning device, the said angle of the beam of light from the light positioning device at the time of positioning and the information contained in the second image, with said angle of the beam of light for one of the plurality of positions in the second image being identified based on the information concerning the location information for the beam of light the first image.

5. An apparatus for measuring 3-dimensional contour of an object, said apparatus comprising:

a light-source unit for projecting a stripe of light onto said object and creating a luminous contour line at an intersection of said stripe of light and said object, said light-source unit being adapted to rapidly reposition said stripe of light relative to said object to create a plurality of luminous contour lines depicting the contours of the surface of the object;

an image-detecting device trained on the object along a line of focus for detecting said plurality of luminous contour lines in an image frame with each image frame comprising a two-dimensional array of light intensity information and with each image frame having first and second boundaries along a Y axis, said image-detecting device producing signals representative of two-dimensional coordinates of the detected contour lines for each image frame;

the light-source unit further arranged in relation to the image-detecting device at a known distance along a second line extending between said light-source unit and said image-detecting device, with the light-source unit projecting the stripe of light in each position following a line that is associated with an angle, the associated angle being determinable from the relationship between the first line and the second line;

a processor arranged to output signals to the light-source unit to control the positioning of the stripe of light about the object and synchronize the movement of the light-source unit with the capturing of images by the image-detecting device;

the light-source unit further arranged to position said stripe of light at a location on said object at a position having an associated angle of X degrees, where X is a number between 0 and 180 degrees, for the position such that said image-detecting device records an image of the stripe of light reflected from the said luminous contour line positioned on said object in a zero-th image frame within the sequence of image frames;

wherein said light-source unit is further arranged to position said stripe of light at a plurality of additional locations on said object such that in the next frame the light-source unit positions the stripe of light in a plurality of locations during the time of image capture following the rule that the light-source unit positions the light in at least two positions for each positioning of the stripe of beam that occurred in the previous frame and also positions the beam in the next frame such that one of the two positions in each rule positioning combination has an associated angle that is less than the angle associated for one of the positions in the previous frame and one of the at least two positions in the rule positioning combination has an associated angle that is greater than the associated angle for the one of the positions of the previous frame in question with said additional plurality of positionings being recorded in an image frame that is the next image frame within the sequence of images;

said image-detecting device is further arranged to output 2n−

1 contour lines following the rule above for up to n image frames and record in such (n)th image frame the reflection of 2n−

1 contour lines on said object, each of which is positioned on said object between a first contour line recorded in an (n−

1)th image frame and one of a second contour line recorded in the (n−

1)th image frame; and

the processor further comprised to calculate a 3D location coordinate for a signal that describes the reflection of a contour line in the nth image frame based on the angle associated with the contour line that created that signal, with the angle associated for that contour line in the nth image frame being confirmed by contour line image position information in the (n−

1)th image frame.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein depth component of each of said three-dimensional coordinates is calculable by triangulation based on said associated angle of approach of said stripe of light from said light-source unit onto said object.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said processor synchronizes said image-detecting device with said light-source unit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said data processing apparatus synchronizes said image-detecting device with said light-source unit based on time of receipt at the data-processing apparatus of signals representative of a reference image frame.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein n is an integer, and wherein each image frame in a second sequence of image frames beginning with a predetermined image frame of said first sequence of image frames has uniform number of contour lines.

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first light guide having a first end optically coupled to said light-source unit and a second end terminating near the vicinity of said object, said first light guide guiding said stripe of light onto said object;

a second light guide having a first end optically coupled to said image-detecting device and a second end terminating near the vicinity of said object, said second light guide extending substantially parallel to said first light guide, said second light guide guiding reflected light, corresponding to said contour lines detected in each image frame, from said object to said image-detecting device; and

a data processing apparatus coupled to said image-detecting device for calculating, for each detected contour line, a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates representing a portion of said three-dimensional contour of said object;

wherein said second end of said second light guide is positioned at a known distance from said second end of said first light guide, and wherein depth component of each of said three-dimensional coordinates is calculable by triangulation based on angle of approach of said stripe of light from said second end of said first light guide onto said object and said signals representative of two-dimensional coordinates of the detected contour line produced by said image-detecting device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:

the light-source unit is further arranged to position, in the time of image capture for the (n+1)th image frame, the stripe of light in the same number of positions as was output in the nth image frame, where each stripe of light for the (n+1)th image is shifted from its position in the nth frame by a predetermined number of degrees; and

the processor further comprised to calculate a 3D location coordinate for a signal that describes the reflection of a contour line in the (n+1)th image frame based on the angle associated with the positioned contour line that created the signal, with the angle associated for that contour line in the (n+1)th image frame being confirmed by the contour line image information in the nth image frame.

12. An apparatus for measuring 3-dimensional contour of an object, said apparatus comprising:

a light-source unit for projecting a stripe of light onto said object and creating a luminous contour line at an intersection of said stripe of light and said object, said light-source unit being adapted to rapidly reposition said stripe of light relative to said object to create project a plurality of luminous contour lines on to the object;

an image-detecting device trained on the object along a line of focus for capturing a series of images of said plurality of luminous contour lines positioned on the object, said image-detecting device producing two-dimensional images of the luminous contour lines reflecting from the object, the images each comprising a two-dimensional array of signals that describe the detected light for each luminous contour line that appears in each image frame;

the light-source unit further arranged to project said stripe of light in various positions with the stripe of light in each position following a line that is associated with an angle equivalent to the angle formed by the intersection of the stripe of light and the line of focus;

a computer processor arranged to output signals to the light-source unit to control the positioning of the stripe of light about the object and synchronize the beginning of the movement of the light-source unit with the capturing of images by the image-detecting device;

wherein said computer processor outputs a signal to the light-source unit to positions said stripe of light at a locations on said object such that said image-detecting device detects an image frame which is the (n−

1)th image frame of a sequence of image frames and records an image of the stripe of light reflected from the said luminous contour lines positioned on said object, and said computer processor outputs a second signal to the light-source unit to position said stripe of light at a location that is relative to the first position and the reflection of the contour line being recorded in an image frame that is the nth image frame of the sequence; and

wherein the computer processor is further arranged to calculate a 3D X,Y,Z coordinate for a signal in the (n)th image that describes the reflection of a positioned contour line based on the angle associated with the positioned contour line, with the angle associated being confirmed by the contour line image information of the n−

1)th frame.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said computer processor synchronizes said image-detecting device with said light-source unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said computer processor synchronizes said image-detecting device with said light-source unit based the data processing apparatus receipt of signals representative of the image-detecting device'"'"'s capture of an image frame.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first light guide having a first end optically coupled to said light-source unit and a second end terminating near the vicinity of said object, said first light guide guiding said stripe of light onto said object;

a second light guide having a first end optically coupled to said image-detecting device and a second end terminating near the vicinity of said object, said second light guide extending substantially parallel to said first light guide, said second light guide guiding reflected light, corresponding to said contour lines detected in each image frame, from said object to said image-detecting device; and

a data processing apparatus coupled to said image-detecting device for calculating, for each detected contour line, a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates representing a portion of said three-dimensional contour of said object;

wherein said second end of said second light guide is positioned at a known distance from said second end of said first light guide, and wherein depth component of each of said three-dimensional coordinates is calculable by triangulation based on angle of approach of said stripe of light from said second end of said first light guide onto said object and said signals representative of two-dimensional coordinates of the detected contour line produced by said image-detecting device.

16. A method of measuring 3-dimensional contour of an object using a light-source unit for projecting and rapidly positioning a stripe of light on a plurality of locations on said object and an image detector trained on the object along a line of focus for detecting a series of image frames, each image frame being defined by a left boundary and a right boundary, said method comprising:

(a) projecting a stripe of light onto said object to create a first luminous contour line at an intersection of said stripe of light and said object, the light-source unit being arranged in relation to said image detector at a known distance along a line extending between said light-source unit and said image detector, with the light-source unit protecting the stripe of light in each position following a line that is associated with an angle, the associated angle being determinable from the relationship between the line of focus and the line extending between said light-source unit and said image detector, with the positioning of the said stripe of light at the first location with an associated angle for that s position;

(b) detecting said first contour line by means of said image detector such that said image detector records an image of the beam of light reflected from the said contour line positioned on said object in a zero-th image frame within the sequence of image frames;

(c) positioning said stripe of light at a plurality of additional locations on said object such in the next n−

1 frames in a plurality of locations during the time of image capture of each frame following the rule that the light-source unit positions the light in two positions for each positioning of the light beam that occurred in the previous frame and also Positioning the beam in the next frame such that one of the two positions in each positioning combination has an associated angle that is less than the angle position for one of the positions in the previous frame and one of the two positions in the positioning combination has an associated angle that is greater than the angle for the one the positions of the previous frame in question, with said additional plurality of positionings being recorded in image frames that are the next n−

1 image frames within the sequence of images;

(d) said image detector further arranged to output an amount of up to 2n−

1 contour lines following the rule above for up to n image frames and records in such nth image frame the reflection of the up to 2n−

1 contour lines on said object, each of which is positioned on said object between a first contour line recorded in an n−

1)th image frame of said first sequence and one of a second contour line recorded in the (n−

1)th; and

(e) the processor further comprised to calculate a 3D location coordinate for a signal that describes the reflection of a contour line in the nth image frame based on the angle associated with the positioned contour line that created that signal, with the angle associated for that contour line in the nth image frame being confirmed by contour line image position information in the n−

1)th image frame.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

for each detected image frame, generating signals representative of two-dimensional coordinates of the detected contour lines; and

calculating by triangulation, for each detected contour line, a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates of said three-dimensional contour of said object based on said signals representative of two-dimensional coordinates of said detected contour lines and angle of approach from said light-source unit onto said object of said stripe of light corresponding to said detected contour line.

18. The method according to claim 16 further comprising, before step (a), the step of:

synchronizing the sequence of projecting said stripe of light onto said object to sequence of time intervals corresponding to respective image frames.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said synchronization is based on the time of receipt at the data-processing apparatus of signals representative of a reference image frame.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein n is an integer, and wherein each image frame in a second sequence of image frames beginning with a predetermined image frame of said first sequence of image frames has uniform number of contour lines.

21. A method for measuring 3-dimensional contour of an object using a light-source unit for projecting and rapidly positioning a stripe of light on a plurality of locations on said object and an image detector trained on the object along a line of focus for detecting a series of image frames, each image frame being defined by a left boundary and a right boundary, said method comprising:

(a) projecting a stripe of light onto said object to create a first luminous contour line at an intersection of said stripe of light and said object the light-source unit being arranged in relation to the image-detecting device at a known distance along a line extending between said light-source unit and said image-detecting device, with the light-source unit protecting the stripe of light in each position following a line that is associated with an angle, the associated angle being determinable from the relationship between the line of focus and the line extending between said light-source unit and said image-detecting device, with the positioning of the said stripe of light at the first location with a first associated angle (X) for that position;

(b) detecting said first contour line by means of said image detector such that said image-detecting device records an image of the beam of light reflected from the said contour line positioned on said object in a zero-th image frame within the sequence of image frames;

(c) positioning said stripe of light at two locations having positions with associated angles that are smaller than and greater than the associated angle for the stripe of light at the first location, with the reflection of the light stripes from those second and third positionings being recorded in an image frame that is a first image frame within the sequence of images, the angle associated with the stripe of light in the second position having R degrees, where R is a number which is D degrees smaller than the angle X associated with first light position such that R=X−

D, and the angle associated with the stripe of light in the third position having X+D degrees;

(d) positioning, in the time of capturing images in the second through nth frames the stripe of light in two positions having associated angles with the associated angle for the stripe of light at the different positions in the image frame incremented by the value of D such that in the nth image from the light detection device captures information concerning the light positioning of the stripe of light, wherein the position of the stripe of light at one location in the image has an associated angle having X+(n*D) degrees and the position of the stripe of light at the other location in the image has an associated angle having X−

(n*D); and

(e) calculating a 3D location coordinate for a signal that describe the reflection of a contour line in the nth image frame based on the angle associated with the positioned contour line that created the signal, with the angle associated for that contour line in the nth image frame being confirmed by the contour line image information in the said (n−

1)th image frame.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

for each detected image frame, generating signals representative of two-dimensional coordinates of the detected contour lines; and

calculating by triangulation, for each detected contour line, a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates of said three-dimensional contour of said object based on said signals representative of two-dimensional coordinates of said detected contour lines and angle of approach from said light-source unit onto said object of said stripe of light corresponding to said detected contour line.

23. The method according to claim 21 further comprising, before step (a), the step of:

synchronizing the sequence of projecting said stripe of light onto said object to sequence of time intervals corresponding to respective image frames.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said synchronization is based on the time of receipt at the data-processing apparatus of signals representative of a reference image frame.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein n is an integer, and wherein said light-source unit positions said stripe of light at a plurality of locations on said object such that each image frame in a second sequence of image frames beginning with a predetermined image frame of said first sequence of image frames has uniform number of contour lines.

26. A system for replicating a 3-dimensional profile of a surface comprising:

a light-stripe projection unit for projecting and rapidly positioning a stripe of light at desired locations on said surface to create corresponding reflected stripes of light from said surface depicting contours of the surface;

an image detector trained on the surface along a line of focus for capturing a series of images of the light that reflects from said plurality of reflected stripes for detecting said reflected stripes in image frames, with each image frame comprising a two-dimensional array of light intensity information and with each image frame having a left and right boundary, said image detector detecting a sequence of image frames over time with each image being captured within a known time period, said image detector being located at a position relative to said light-stripe projection unit where a three-dimensional coordinate location profile of said surface is calculable by triangulation;

the light-stripe projection unit further arranged to project said stripe of light with the stripe of light in each position following a line associated with an angle determinable from the relationship between the line of focus and the relative positions of said light-source unit and said image-detecting device;

a processor arranged to output signals to the liqht-stripe projection unit to control the positioning of the stripe of light about the object and synchronize the movement of the light source unit with the capturing of imaged by the image detector;

the light stripe projection unit further arranged to project a stripe of light onto said object to create a first luminous contour line at an intersection of said stripe of light, with the positioning of said stripe of light at the first location having an associated angle for that position;

the image detector arranged to detect said first contour line capturing an image of the beam of light reflected from said first contour line positioned on said object in a zero-th image frame within the sequence of image frames;

the light stripe projection unit further arranged to position said stripe of light at a plurality of additional locations on said object such in the next n−

1 frames in a plurality of locations during the time of image capture of each frame following the rule that the light-source unit positions the light in two positions for each positioning of the light beam that occurred in the previous frame and also positioning the beam in the next frame such that one of the two positions in each positioning combination has an associated angle that is less than the angle position for one of the positions in the previous frame and one of the two positions in the positioning combination has an associated angle that is greater than the angle for the one the positions of the previous frame in question, with said additional plurality of positionings being recorded in image frames that are the next n−

1 image frames within the sequence of images; and

the processor further comprised to calculate a 3D location coordinate for a signal that describes the reflection of a contour line in the nth image frame based on the angle associated with the positioned contour line that created that signal, with the angle associated for that contour line in the nth image frame being confirmed by contour line image position information in the n−

1)th image frame.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said light-stripe projection unit comprises a laser source for projecting a laser stripe and a light-directing apparatus for rapidly positioning said laser stripe at desired locations.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said light-directing apparatus comprises one of a galvanometric scanner and an acousto-optical scanner.

29. The system according to claim 26, wherein

n is an integer, and wherein said processor controls said light-directing apparatus to position said laser stripe such that each image frame in a second sequence of image frames beginning with a predetermined image frame of said first sequence of image frames has uniform number of images of reflected stripes.

30. A system for replicating a 3-dimensional profile of a surface comprising:

(a) a light-stripe projection unit for projecting and rapidly positioning a stripe of light at desired locations on said surface to create corresponding reflected stripes of light from said surface depicting contours of the surface;

(b) an image detector trained on the surface along a line of focus for capturing a series of images of the light that reflects from the said plurality of reflected stripes for detecting said reflected stripes in image frames with each frame comprising a two-dimensional array of light intensity information and with each frame having a left and right boundary, said image detector detecting a sequence of image frames over time with each image being captured within a known time period, said image detector being located at a position relative to said light-stripe projection unit where a 3D coordinate location profile of said surface is calculable by triangulation;

(c) the light-stripe projection unit further arranged to project said stripe of light with the stripe of light in each position following a line that is associated with an angle equivalent to the angle formed by the intersection of the stripe of light and the line of focus;

(d) a processor arranged to output signals to the liqht-stripe projection unit to control the positioning of the stripe of light about the object and synchronize the movement of the light-source unit with the capturing of images by the image-detecting device; and

(e) the light-source unit further arranged to position said stripe of light at a location on said object at a position having an associated angle of X degrees, where X is a number between 0 and 180 degrees, for the position such that said image-detecting device records an image of the beam of light reflected from the said contour line positioned on said object in a zero-th image frame within the sequence of image frames; and

(f) the light-source unit arranged to position said stripe of light at two locations having positions with associated angles that are smaller than and greater than the associated angle for the stripe of light at the first location, with the reflection of the light stripes from those second and third positionings being recorded in an image frame that is a first image frame within the sequence of images, with the processor further comprised to calculate a 3D location coordinate for each signal in the said first image array that describes the reflection of a contour line based on the angle associated with that positioned contour line, with the angle associated for that contour line in the first image frame being confirmed by the contour line image information in the said zero-th image frame.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein said light-stripe projection unit comprises a laser source for projecting a laser stripe and a light-directing apparatus for rapidly positioning said laser stripe at desired locations.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said light-directing apparatus comprises one of a galvanometric scanner and an acousto-optical scanner.

33. The system according to claim 30, wherein n is an integer, and wherein said processor controls said light-directing apparatus to position said laser stripe such that each image frame in a second sequence of image frames beginning with a predetermined image frame of said first sequence of image frames has uniform number of contour lines, wherein in (f) above the angle associated with the stripe of light in the second position having R degrees, where R is n a number which is D degrees smaller than the angle X associated with first light position such that R=X−

D, and the angle associated with the stripe of light in the third position having X+D degrees;

(1) the light-stripe projection unit is further arranged to position in the time of capturing a second image frame the stripe of light in fourth and fifth locations about the object with the image detector collecting the second image frame of the stripe of light as reflected from the object in both the fourth and fifth locations, with the angle associated with the stripe of light in the fourth position having X−

2D degrees and the angle associated with the stripe of light in the fifth position having X+2D degrees;

(2) the light stripe projection unit is further arranged to position, in the time of the capturing images in the third through nth frames in the sequence the stripe of light in two positions following the procedure the paragraph (1), with the angle associated with the stripe of light at the different positions in the image frame incremented by the value of D such that in the nth image from the light detection device captures information concerning the light positioning of the stripe of light, wherein the position of the stripe of light at one location in the image has an associated angle having X+(n*D) degrees and the position of the stripe of light at one location in the image has an associated angle having X−

(n*D); and

(3) the processor further comprised to calculate a 3D location coordinate for a signal that describe the reflection of a contour line in the nth image frame based on the angle associated with the positioned contour line that created the signal, with the angle associated for that contour line in the nth image frame being confirmed by the contour line image information in the said n−

1)th image frame.

34. An apparatus for measuring a 3-dimensional profile of an object, said apparatus comprising:

an image-detecting device trained on the object along a line of focus capturing a sequence of images from 0 to n, each image being captured during a time interval, each of said captured images being contained in an image frame comprising a two-dimensional array of light intensity information and having a left boundary and a right boundary;

a light-source unit for projecting a stripe of light onto one of a plurality of locations on said object and creating a luminous contour line at an intersection of said stripe of light and said object, said light-source unit positioning said stripe of light relative to said object to create at least one luminous contour line during said time interval the light-source unit further arranged to protect said stripe of light with the stripe of light in each position following a line that is associated with an angle equivalent to the angle formed by the intersection of the stripe of light and the line of focus;

wherein said light-source unit arranged to position said stripe of light at a plurality of locations on said object such that said image-detecting device detects a sequence of image frames in which an n−

1)th image frame of said sequence contains an image of a luminous contour line which is positioned on said object and an nth image frame of said sequence contains an image of a luminous contour line which is positioned on said object solely between a position of a contour line recorded in an n−

1)th image frame of said sequence and one of said left boundary and said right boundary;

wherein said image-detecting device is positioned at a location relative to said light-source unit where depth profile of said object is calculable by triangulation based on the position of the light-source unit, the image-detection device and the angle that is associated with the stripe of light as positioned in a given location; and

a processor further comprised to calculate a 3D location coordinate for a signal that describes the reflection of the contour line in the nth image frame based on the angle associated with that positioned contour line, with the angle associated for that contour line in the nth image frame being confirmed by the contour line image information in the said (n−

1)th image frame.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, where in confirming the associated angle for the position of the stripe of light in the nth image frame, said processor generates a continuous line of two-dimensional coordinates representing the positioning of the contour line within said n−

1)th image, and, in the nth frame, compares the 2D coordinate location of a signal representing a contour line within that frame to determine whether the x value of that said coordinate is greater than or less than the x value determined for the contour line of the n−

1)th image frame having the same Y coordinate and determining an angle associated with said coordinate in the nth frame for the beam of light that generated its reflection.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34 wherein said processor synchronizes said image-detecting device with said light-source unit.

37. The apparatus according to claim 34 wherein said data processing apparatus synchronizes said image-detecting device with said light-source unit based on time of receipt at said data-processing apparatus of signals representative of a reference image frame.

38. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said light-source unit comprises a laser-stripe generator and a light-directing apparatus for positioning said stripe of light at desired locations.

39. The system according to claim 34, wherein said light-directing apparatus comprises one of a galvanometric scanner and an acousto-optical scanner.

40. A method of measuring a 3-dimensional profile of an object using an image-detecting device trained on the object along a line of focus for capturing an image during a time interval, a light-source unit for projecting a stripe of light onto said object at variable locations by moving the stripe of light with the stripe of light stripe of light in each position following a line that is associated with an angle equivalent to the angle formed by the intersection of the stripe of light and the line of focus, and a data processing apparatus, said method comprising:

synchronizing the beginning of the movement of the light-source unit with the capturing of images by the image-detecting device;

projecting said stripe of light onto a plurality of locations on said object to create a corresponding plurality of luminous contour lines at intersections of said stripe of light and said object, said light stripe being positioned relative to said object to create at least one luminous contour line during said time interval;

projecting, during the above step of sequentially projecting the stripe of light, the stripe of light during the capturing of a first frame so that it is positioned at a location having an associated angle of X degrees, where X is a number between 0 and 180 degrees, for the position;

projecting, during the above step of sequentially protecting the stripe of light, the stripe of light during the capturing of a second frame in at least two positions, the at least two positions having locations with associated angles that are smaller than and greater than the associated angle for the stripe of light at the first location captured in said first image frame;

capturing said sequence of images by means of said image-detecting device, including said first and second image frames each image being captured during a corresponding time interval, each of said captured images being contained in an image frame comprising a two-dimensional array of light intensity information and having a left boundary and a right boundary; and

calculating, using said data processing apparatus, a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates representative of said three-dimensional profile of said object based on said signals representative of said detected contour line for each image frame by triangulation, by;

(i) identifying the 2D location coordinate for each signal that describes the reflection of the contour line in said first image frame;

(ii) using those identified coordinates to create a continuous line of 2D coordinates that describes a continuous contour of the object;

(iii) identifying a 2D location coordinate for a signal that describes one of the reflections of the contour lines in said second image frame; and

(iv) confirming the associated angle for the said 2D location coordinate in the second frame by comparing the position of said second frame 2D coordinate to the position of a coordinate in the continuous line of 2D coordinates determined for the first frame.

41. The method according to claim 40, comprising the additional step:

calculating said a three-dimensional coordinate for the second frame coordinate location by triangulation based on said of approach on said object of said stripe of light corresponding to said detected contour line for said nth image frame.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein said step of calculating processed two-dimensional coordinates representing said detected contour line for said n^th image frame comprises:

comparing two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to said signals representative of said detected contour line for said n^th image frame with a range of two-dimensional coordinates lying between processed two-dimensional coordinates representing the detected contour line for said (n−

1)^th image frame and one of said left boundary and said right boundary; and

excluding extraneous coordinates of said two-dimensional coordinates corresponding to said signals representative of the detected contour line for said n^th image frame when said extraneous coordinates lie outside said range of two-dimensional coordinates lying between processed two-dimensional coordinates representing the detected contour line for said (n−

1)^th image frame and one of said left boundary and said right boundary.

43. The method according to claim 40 further comprising the step of:

synchronizing the sequence of projecting said stripe of light onto said object to the sequence of time intervals corresponding to respective image frames.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein said synchronization is based on the time of receipt at the data-processing apparatus of signals representative of a reference image frame.

45. A system for measuring 3-D shape of an object, which comprises:

an illumination source for projecting a beam of light onto the object at a plurality of angles of approach relative to said object;

a photographic device for detecting an image of the object including a reflection of the light beam from the object at one location about the object and along one angle of approach and generating a two-dimensional x,y coordinate array of electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the reflected light beam;

a processor coupled to the photographic detecting device to receive the two-dimensional x,y coordinate array of electrical signals and identify in real time a group of those pixels within each x row of the array that contain information representative of the reflected light beam only; and

a storage device coupled to the processor to receive and store pixel information representative of the reflective light beam;

the processor further arranged to, at a desired time, further process the information to locate with in each x row of said group of pixels the one pixel which represents the location where the light beam touched the object; and

the processor further arranged to construct a continuous set of pixel assignments to describe a continuous contour line based on the x,y locations of each said one pixel which represents the location where the light beam touched the object and using the coordinates of said continuous contour line to associate information related to the assigned angle of approach for the pixel information the light positioned in a subsequent image.

46. A system for measuring 3-D shape of an object, which comprises:

an illumination source for projecting a beam of light onto the object at a plurality of angles of approach relative to said object;

a photographic device for detecting an image of the object including a reflection of the light beam from the object at one location about the object along one angle of approach and generating a two-dimensional x,y coordinate array electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the reflected light beam, the pixel information comprising information for each of a plurality of individual pixels;

a processor coupled to the photographic detecting device to receive the electrical signals, identify in real time groups of pixels representative of the reflected light beam depicted in the one image, each group corresponding to a predetermined portion of the reflected light beam depicted in the one image and select a subgroup from each group to represent a corresponding predetermined portion of the reflected light beam that represents the location where the light beam touched the object;

a storage device coupled to the processor to receive and store the subgroups to represent the corresponding predetermined portions of the reflected light beam; and

the processor further arranged to construct a continuous set of pixel assignments to describe a continuous contour line based on the coordinates the subgroup from each group of identified pixels and utilizing the coordinates of that continuous contour line to associate information related to the assigned angle of approach for groups of pixel information concerning positioned light in a subsequent image.

47. A method for storing information for a 3-D shape of an object comprising the steps of:

projecting a light beam against the object at a plurality of angles of approach relative to said object;

detecting an image of the object including a reflection of the light beam from the object at one location about the object and along one angle of approach and generating a two-dimensional x,y coordinate array of electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the reflected light beam;

identifying pixel information representative of the reflected light beam within each x row of said array that contains information representative of the image of the object and the reflected light beam;

storing the pixel information representative of the reflected light beam;

at a desired time, locating within each x row of said array one pixel which represents the location where the light beam touched the object; and

constructing a continuous set of pixel assignments to describe a continuous contour line based on the x, y locations of each said one pixel which represents the location where the light beam touched the object and using the coordinates of said continuous contour line to associate information related to the assigned angle of approach for the pixel information of the light positioned in a subsequent image.

48. A method for storing information for a 3-D shape of an object comprising the steps of:

projecting a light beam against the object at a plurality of angles of approach relative to said object;

detecting an image of the object including a reflection of the light beam from the object at one location about the object along one angle of approach;

using the image to generate electrical signals comprising an x,y coordinate array of pixel information representative of the image of the object and the reflected light beam, the pixel information comprising information for each of a plurality of individual pixels;

identifying groups of pixels, each group corresponding to a predetermined portion of the reflected light beam;

selecting a subgroup from each group to represent the corresponding predetermined portion of the reflected light beam that represents the location where the light beam touched the object;

storing the subgroups to represent the corresponding predetermined portions of the reflected light beam; and

constructing a continuous set of pixel assignments to describe a continuous contour line based on the coordinates of the subgroup from each group of identified pixels and utilizing the coordinates of that continuous contour line to associate information related to the assigned angle of approach for groups of pixel information concerning positioned light in a subsequent image.

49. A system for measuring 3-D shape of an object, which comprises:

an illumination source for projecting a beam of light onto a plurality of locations on the object;

a photographic detecting device for detecting an image of the object including reflections of the light beam from said plurality of locations on the object during an image-capturing time period and generating electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the reflected light beam;

a processor coupled to the illumination source to receive information in respect of angles between the illumination source and the object, and further coupled to the photographic detecting device to receive the electrical signals;

the processor associating the angle information to the pixel information;

the processor using the associated angle information and pixel information to determine three dimensional X, Y, Z coordinates for the object and eliminating certain X, Y, Z coordinates according to preselected redundancy criteria.

50. A method for measuring 3-D shape of an object, comprising the steps of:

projecting a beam of light onto a plurality of locations on the object;

detecting an image of the object including reflections of the light beam from said plurality of locations on the object during an image-capturing time period;

generating electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the reflected light beam;

determining angles between the illumination source and the object;

associating the angle information to the pixel information;

using the associated angle information and pixel information to determine three dimensional X, Y, Z coordinates for the object; and

eliminating certain X, Y, Z coordinates according to preselected redundancy criteria.

51. A system for obtaining data representative of 3-D shape of an object, which comprises:

an illumination source for projecting a light beam onto the object at a plurality of angles of approach relative to said object;

a controller for assigning each of said plurality of angles of approach relative to said object for said light beam, said controller generating information related to each of said plurality of angles of approach;

a photographic device for detecting a first image of the object including a first luminous contour line of the object generated by reflection of said light beam from the object and generating electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the luminous contour line and a second image of the object including second and third luminous contour lines of the object generated by reflection of said light beam from the object and generating electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the luminous contour lines;

a storage device coupled to the photographic detecting device and the controller to receive and store the pixel information representative of the first luminous contour line and the information related to the assigned angle of approach of said light beam associated with the luminous contour line; and

a processor for constructing a continuous set of pixel assignments to describe a continuous contour line based on the stored pixel information representative of the luminous contour line and using the coordinates of said continuous contour line to associate information related to the assigned angle of approach for the pixel information representative of one of the second or third luminous contour lines.

52. The system according to claim 51, wherein said photographic detecting device detects a sequence of images of said object, each image including a luminous contour line, and wherein said storage device receives and stores, for each detected image, the pixel information representative of the luminous contour line and the information related to the angle of approach of the beam of light associated with the luminous contour line, said the processor for accessing and processing the stored pixel information representative of the luminous contour lines and the stored information related to the corresponding angles of approach of the beam of light associated with the luminous contour lines, said processor using the associated angle information and the pixel information to determine three dimensional X, Y, Z coordinates for the object.

53. A method for measuring 3-D shape of an object, comprising the steps of:

projecting a light beam onto the object at a plurality of angles of approach relative to said object;

detecting a sequence of images of the object, with a first image containing a luminous contour line of the object generated by a reflection of the light beam from the object, with the first luminous contour line having associated therewith an angle of approach of the light beam relative to the object and with subsequent images containing a plurality of luminous contour lines of the object generated by reflections of the light beam from the object, each subsequent luminous contour line having associated therewith an angle of approach of the light beam relative to the object;

for each image, generating electrical signals comprising pixel information representative of the image of the object and the luminous contour line;

for each luminous contour line, determining the angle of approach of the light beam relative to the object such that the angles of approach for the luminous contour lines contained within can be associated with particular image frames;

storing said pixel information representative of the luminous contour line and angle information representative of the angle of approach of the light beam associated with the luminous contour line;

at a desired time, accessing the stored pixel information and the angle information;

associating the angle information to the corresponding pixel information by constructing a continuous set of pixel assignments to describe a continuous contour line based on the stored pixel information representative of the luminous contour line in the first frame and using the coordinates of said continuous contour line to associate information related to the assigned angle of approach for the pixel information representative of one of the contour lines in the second frame; and

using the associated angle information and pixel information to determine three dimensional X, Y, Z coordinates for the object.