Low-cost optoelectronic system for three-dimensional artwork texture measurement

A new optoelectronic system based on a projection unit in which light, coming from a laser diode coupled to an optic fiber impinges on a diffractive optical element (DOE) to produce sinusoidal fringes is proposed for three-dimensional (3-D) texture measurement. If the projected fringe pattern is viewed at an angle different from the projection angle, the fringe profile is phase-modulated by the 3-D object shape. The 3-D map information is obtained with the aid of a fringe analyzer based on phase-shifting synthetic moiré pattern, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), signal demodulation techniques and a robust and fast phase unwrapping performed by a specially developed software. The proposed system is based on a simple and low cost equipment; furthermore, it is suitable for in situ measurements also by nonskilled operators. Some experimental examples illustrate its performance.