Influence of projector pixel shape on ultrahigh-resolution 3D shape measurement

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Metrology
• Computer Vision

Background:

• Current 3D shape measurement techniques using digital fringe projection (DFP) often overlook projector pixel shape's influence.
• Discrepancies in pixel size between camera and projector can lead to significant measurement errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of projector pixel shape on 3D measurement accuracy.
• To compare the performance of rectangular versus diamond-shaped projector pixels in ultrahigh resolution systems.

Main Methods:

• Simulations were conducted to model fringe projection under varying pixel shapes.
• Experiments were performed using digital fringe projection systems with different projector pixel shapes.
• Measurement quality was assessed based on resolution and accuracy metrics.

Main Results:

• Projector pixel shape critically affects measurement quality when camera pixel size is substantially smaller than projector pixel size.
• Rectangular projector pixels demonstrated superior performance in ultrahigh resolution 3D shape measurement compared to diamond pixels.
• Simulation and experimental data confirmed the advantage of rectangular pixels under specific pixel size ratios.

Conclusions:

• The assumption of negligible projector pixel influence is invalid in certain high-resolution DFP scenarios.
• Utilizing rectangular projector pixels is recommended for optimizing ultrahigh resolution 3D shape measurement systems.
• Pixel shape optimization is crucial for advancing the accuracy and resolution of DFP techniques.