Structured-light 3D surface imaging:

a tutorial
Jason Geng
IEEE Intelligent Transportation System Society, 11001 Sugarbush Terrace, Rockville,
Maryland 20852, USA ([email protected])
Received September 22, 2010; revised December 10, 2010; accepted December 20,
2010; published March 31, 2011 (Doc. ID 134160)
We provide a review of recent advances in 3D surface imaging technologies.
We focus particularly on noncontact 3D surface measurement techniques
based on structured illumination. The high-speed and high-resolution pattern
projection capability offered by the digital light projection technology, together
with the recent advances in imaging sensor technologies, may enable new
generation systems for 3D surface measurement applications that will provide
much better functionality and performance than existing ones in terms of
speed, accuracy, resolution, modularization, and ease of use. Performance
indexes of 3D imaging system are discussed, and various 3D surface imaging
schemes are categorized, illustrated, and compared. Calibration techniques are
also discussed, since they play critical roles in achieving the required precision.
Numerous applications of 3D surface imaging technologies are discussed with
c 2011 Optical Society of America
several examples.
OCIS codes: 150.6910, 110.6880

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
2. Sequential Projection Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
2.1. Binary Patterns and Gray Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
2.2. Gray-Level Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
2.3. Phase Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
2.4. Hybrid Method: Phase Shift + Gray Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
2.5. Photometrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
3. Full-Frame Spatially Varying Color Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
3.1. Rainbow 3D Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
3.2. Continuously Varying Color Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
4. Stripe Indexing (Single Shot). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
4.1. Stripe Indexing Using Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
4.2. Stripe Indexing Using Segment Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
4.3. Stripe Indexing Using Repeated Gray-Scale Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . 141
4.4. Stripe Indexing Based on De Bruijn Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
5. Grid Indexing: 2D Spatial Grid Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
5.1. Pseudo-random Binary Array (PRBA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
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5.2. Mini-patterns Used as Code Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

5.3. Color-Coded Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
5.4. 2D Array of Color-Coded Dots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
5.5. Hybrid Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
6. Performance Evaluation of 3D Surface Imaging Systems . . . . . . . . . . 146
7. Camera and Projector Calibration Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
7.1. Camera Calibration Algorithms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
7.2. Projector Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
7.2a. Intensity Calibration of Projector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
7.2b. Geometric Calibration of Projector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
8. Application Examples of 3D Surface Imaging Technologies . . . . . . . 152
8.1. 3D Facial Imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
8.2. 3D Dental Imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
8.3. 3D Imaging Techniques for Plastic Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
8.4. 3D Model of Ear Impression for a Custom-Fit Hearing Aid. . . .153
8.5. 3D Imaging for Reverse Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
8.6. 3D Imaging System for Airbag Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
8.7. High-Speed 3D Imaging System for Vehicle Crash Tests . . . . . . . 155
8.8. 3D Imaging Technology for Accident Scene Investigation . . . . . 155
9. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
References and Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

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Structured-light 3D surface imaging:

a tutorial
Jason Geng

1. Introduction
The physical world around us is three-dimensional (3D); yet traditional
cameras and imaging sensors are able to acquire only two-dimensional
(2D) images that lack the depth information. This fundamental
restriction greatly limits our ability to perceive and to understand the
complexity of real-world objects. The past several decades have marked
tremendous advances in research, development, and commercialization
of 3D surface imaging technologies, stimulated by application demands
in a variety of market segments, advances in high-resolution and highspeed electronic imaging sensors, and ever-increasing computational
power. In this paper, we provide an overview of recent advances in
surface imaging technologies by use of structured light.
The term 3D imaging refers to techniques that are able to acquire
true 3D data, i.e., values of some property of a 3D object, such as
the distribution of density, as a function the 3D coordinates (x, y, z).
Examples from the medical imaging field are computed tomography
(CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which acquire volumetric
pixels (or voxels) of the measured target, including its internal structure.
By contrast, surface imaging deals with measurement of the (x, y, z)
coordinates of points on the surface of an object. Since the surface is,
in general, nonplanar, it is described in a 3D space, and the imaging
problem is called 3D surface imaging. The result of the measurement
may be regarded as a map of the depth (or range) z as a function of the
position (x, y) in a Cartesian coordinate system, and it may be expressed
in the digital matrix form {zij = (xi , yj , ), i = 1, 2, . . . , L, j = 1, 2, . . . , M}.
This process is also referred to as 3D surface measurement, range finding,
range sensing, depth mapping, surface scanning, etc. These terms are
used in different application fields and usually refer to loosely equivalent
basic surface imaging functionality, differing only in details of system
design, implementation, and/or data formats.
A more general 3D surface imaging system is able to acquire a scalar
value, such as surface reflectance, associated with each point on the
nonplanar surface. The result is a point cloud {Pi = (xi , yi , zi , fi ), i =
1, 2, . . . , N}, where fi represents the value at the ith surface point in
the data set. Likewise, a color surface image is represented by {Pi =
(xi , yi , zi , ri , gi , bi ), i = 1, 2, . . . , N}, where the vector (ri , gi , bi ) represents
the red, green, and blue color components associated with the ith surface
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Figure 1

Illustration of structured light.

point. Spectral surface properties may also be described by vectors of

larger dimension.
One principal method of 3D surface imaging is based on the use of
structured light, i.e., active illumination of the scene with specially
designed 2D spatially varying intensity pattern. As illustrated in Fig. 1,
a spatially varying 2D structured illumination is generated by a special
projector or a light source modulated by a spatial light modulator. The
intensity of each pixel on the structured-light pattern is represented
by the digital signal {Iij = (i, j), i = 1, 2, . . . , I, j = 1, 2, . . . , J},
where (i, j) represent the (x, y) coordinates of the projected pattern. The
structured-light projection patterns discussed herein are 2D patterns.
An imaging sensor (a video camera, for example) is used to acquire a 2D
image of the scene under the structured-light illumination. If the scene
is a planar surface without any 3D surface variation, the pattern shown
in the acquired image is similar to that of the projected structured-light
pattern. However, when the surface in the scene is nonplanar, the
geometric shape of the surface distorts the projected structured-light
pattern as seen from the camera. The principle of structured-light 3D
surface imaging techniques is to extract the 3D surface shape based
on the information from the distortion of the projected structured-light
pattern. Accurate 3D surface profiles of objects in the scene can be
computed by using various structured-light principles and algorithms.
As shown in Fig. 1, the geometric relationship between an imaging
sensor, a structured-light projector, and an object surface point can be
expressed by the triangulation principle as
R=B

sin()
.
sin( + )

The key for triangulation-based 3D imaging is the technique used to

differentiate a single projected light spot from the acquired image under
a 2D projection pattern. Various schemes have been proposed for this
purpose, and this tutorial will provide an overview of various methods
based on the structured-light illumination.
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Figure 2
Camera

Structured light projector

Sensed image
3D surface

A computer animation (Media 1) of a structured-light 3D imaging system to

demonstrate its working principle.

In a more general sense, actively illuminated structured-light patterns

may include spatial variations in all (x, y, z) directions, thus becoming
a true 3D structured-light projection system. For example, the intensity
of projected light may vary along the optical path of the projected light
owing to coherent optical interference. However, most structured-light
3D surface imaging systems use 2D projection patterns. Therefore, in this
paper, we restrict our discussions of structured light to the uses of 2D
structured-light patterns only.
Figure 2 represents a computer animation (Media 1) of a structured-light
3D imaging system to demonstrate its working principle. An arbitrary
target 3D surface is illuminated by a structured-light projection pattern.
In this particular case, the structured-light pattern is a spatially varying
multiple-cycle color spectrum. A color imaging sensor acquires the
image of the target 3D surface under the structured-light illumination.
In the animation, we dynamically change the geometric shape of the 3D
surface. The image captured by the imaging sensor varies accordingly.
Based on the distortion of the structured-light pattern seen on the sensed
image in comparison with the undistorted projection pattern, the 3D
geometric shape of the target surface can be computed accurately.
Numerous techniques for surface imaging by structured light are
currently available. In this review, we first classify all techniques
into sequential (multiple-shot) or single-shot categories, as illustrated
schematically in Fig. 3, which may be regarded as a road map for this
technology. If the target 3D object is static and the application does
not impose stringent constraint on the acquisition time, multiple-shot
techniques can be used and may often result in more reliable and
accurate results. However, if the target is moving, single-shot techniques
have to be used to acquire a snapshot 3D surface image of the 3D object
at particular time instance.
We further classify the single-shot techniques into three broad categories: techniques using continuously varying structured-light patterns,
techniques using 1D encoding schemes (strip indexing), and techniques
using 2D encoding schemes (grid indexing). Each technique has its own
advantages and disadvantages, depending on the specific applications.
There are some possibilities of combining different techniques together
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Figure 3

Classification framework of structured-light surface 3D imaging techniques.

to achieve some intended benefits. The details of these techniques are

provided in Sections 25.
Section 6 discusses issues related to performance evaluation of 3D
surface imaging systems. Section 7 reviews camera and projector
calibration techniques that are critical to the successful operation of any
structured-light 3D surface imaging systems. Section 8 provides a few
examples of applications.
It would be an impossible task to cover all possible 3D surface imaging
techniques in this paper. Instead, we have selected representative
techniques and present them in a tutorial fashion that will help readers
gain perspective of the entire field as well as understand fundamental
technical principles and typical system characteristics.

2. Sequential Projection Techniques

2.1. Binary Patterns and Gray Coding
The binary coding [14] uses black and white stripes to form a sequence
of projection patterns, such that each point on the surface of the object
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Figure 4

Sequential binary-coded pattern projections for 3D imaging.

possesses a unique binary code that differs from any other codes of
different points. In general, N patterns can code 2N stripes. Figure 4
shows a simplified 5-bit projection pattern. Once this sequence of
patterns is projected onto a static scene, there are 32 (=25 ) unique
areas coded with unique stripes. The 3D coordinates (x, y, z) can be
computed (based on a triangulation principle) for all 32 points along each
horizontal line, thus forming a full frame of the 3D image.
Binary coding technique is very reliable and less sensitive to the surface
characteristics, since only binary values exist in all pixels. However, to
achieve high spatial resolution, a large number of sequential patterns
need to be projected. All objects in the scene have to remain static. The
entire duration of 3D image acquisition may be longer than a practical
3D application allows for.

2.2. Gray-Level Patterns

To effectively reduce the number of patterns needed to obtain a
high-resolution 3D image, gray-level patterns are developed. For
example, one can use M distinct levels of intensity (instead of only two
in the binary code) to produce unique coding of the projection patterns.
In this case, N patterns can code M N stripes. Each stripe code can be
visualized as a point in an N-based space, and each dimension has M
distinct values [4,5]. For example, if N = 3, and M is 4, then the total
number of unique code stripes is 64 (=43 ). In comparison, for 64 stripes
with a binary code, 6 patterns are needed. There is an optimization in
designing the binary and gray coding patterns. The goal is to maximize
some type of distance measure among all unique code words [6]. For
practical 3D imaging applications, to be able to distinguish adjacent
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Figure 5

f1(x)
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2

f2(x)

1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
0 20 40 60 80 100120

f3(x)
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
0 20 40 60 80 100120

Top, gray-level coding for 3D imaging: N = 3, M = 3. Bottom, optimized

gray-level coding patterns [7].

stripes is important. Figure 5 (bottom) shows an example of gray-level

coding patterns optimized in Hilbert space [7].

2.3. Phase Shift

Phase shift is a well-known fringe projection method for 3D surface
imaging. A set of sinusoidal patterns is projected onto the object surface
(Fig. 6). The intensities for each pixel (x, y) of the three projected fringe
patterns are described as
I1 (x, y) = I0 (x, y) + Imod (x, y) cos((x, y) ),
I2 (x, y) = I0 (x, y) + Imod (x, y) cos((x, y)),
I3 (x, y) = I0 (x, y) + Imod (x, y) cos((x, y) + ),
where I1 (x, y), I2 (x, y), and I3 (x, y) are the intensities of three fringe
patterns, I0 (x, y) is the DC component (background), Imod (x, y) is the
modulation signal amplitude, (x, y) is the phase, and is the constant
phase-shift angle.
Phase unwrapping is the process that converts the wrapped phase
to the absolute phase. The phase information (x, y) can be retrieved
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Figure 6
I1(x)

(x)

Imod
I0

I2(x)
I0
x

I3(x)

I0

Phase shift with three projection patterns and an example of a fringe image.

(i.e., unwrapped) from the intensities in the three fringe patterns:




I1 (x, y) I3 (x, y)
0
= arctan
3
.
2I2 (x, y) I1 (x, y) I3 (x, y)
The discontinuity of the arc tangent function at 2 can be removed by
adding or subtracting multiples of 2 on the 0 (x, y) value (Fig. 7):
(x, y) = 0 (x, y) + 2k,
where k is an integer representing projection period. Note that
unwrapping methods only provide a relative unwrapping and do not
solve for the absolute phase. The 3D (x, y, z) coordinates can be calculated
based on the difference between measured phase (x, y) and the phase
value from a reference plane [9]. Figure 8 illustrates a simple case, where
d
Z
= ,
LZ
B

or Z =

LZ
d.
B

Simplifying the relationship leads to

Z

L
L
d ( 0 ).
B
B

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Figure 7

Illustration of the phase unwrapping process.

Figure 8

Calculate Z depth based on phase value.

2.4. Hybrid Method: Phase Shift + Gray Coding

As we discussed in Subsection 2.3, there are two major problems
with phase-shift techniques: the unwrapping methods only provide a
relative unwrapping and do not solve for the absolute phase. If two
surfaces have a discontinuity of more than 2 , then no method based
on unwrapping will correctly unwrap these two surfaces relative to each
other. These problems, often called ambiguity, can be solved by using
a combination of gray-code projection and the phase-shift techniques.
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Figure 9

Combining gray code with phase shift. Reproduced from C. Brenner, J. Boehm, and
J. Guehring, "Photogrammetric calibration and accuracy evaluation of a cross-pattern
stripe projector," Proc. SPIE 3641, 164-162 (1998).

Figure 9 shows an example of combining gray-code projection with

phase shift in a 32 stripe coding sequence. The gray code determines
absolute range of phase without any ambiguity, while the phase shift
offers subpixel resolution beyond the number of stripes provided by the
gray code [10,12]. However, hybrid methods require a greater number of
projections and do not lend themselves well to 3D imaging of dynamic
objects.

2.5. Photometrics
Photometric stereo, pioneered by Woodham [13], is a variant approach
to shape from shading. It estimates local surface orientation by using a
sequence of images of the same surface taken from the same viewpoint
but under illumination from different directions [1416] (Fig. 10). It
thus solves the ill-posed problems in shape from shading by using
multiple images. Photometric stereo requires all light sources to be point
Figure 10

Photometric stereo scheme where eight images of the same object are taken
under illumination from eight different locations.

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Figure 11

Rainbow 3D camera [17].

light and only estimates the local surface orientation (gradients p, q). It
assumes continuities of the 3D surface and needs a starting point (a
point on object surface whose (x, y, z) coordinates are known) for its 3D
reconstruction algorithms.

3. Full-Frame Spatially Varying Color Pattern

Major drawbacks of the sequential projection techniques include its
inability to acquire the 3D object in dynamic motion or in a live subject
such as human body parts. We now present a few single-shot 3D surface
imaging techniques that take advantage of color information or a unique
encoding scheme in the projection pattern and require only one acquired
image of the object under the color pattern illumination to derive the full
frame of the 3D image with (x, y, z) coordinates of each visible point in
the scene.

3.1. Rainbow 3D Camera

Figure 11 illustrates the basic concept of the Rainbow 3D Camera [1725].
Unlike conventional stereo, which must extract corresponding features
from a pair of stereo images to calculate the depth value, the Rainbow
3D camera projects a spatially varying wavelength illumination onto
the object surface. The fixed geometry of the rainbow light projector
establishes a one-to-one correspondence between the projection angle, ,
of a plane of light and a particular spectral wavelength , thus providing
easy-to-identify landmarks on each surface point. With a known baseline
B and a known viewing angle , the 3D range values corresponding
to each individual pixel can be computed by using a straightforward
triangulation principle, and a full frame of the 3D range image can be
obtained in a single snapshot at the cameras frame rate (30 frames/s or
faster).
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Figure 12
Red Channel Intensity Variation Pattern

CompositeThreeColor Saw-Tooth Pattern

Green Channel Intensity Variation Pattern

Blue Channel Intensity Variation Pattern

A continuously varying color coding scheme: three patterns of additive primary

color sawtooth.

3.2. Continuously Varying Color Coding

It is possible to compose various continuously varying color patterns
to encode the spatial location information [24]. For example, we
can construct an intensity variation pattern for each color channel
of a projector such that, when added together, these patterns in
individual color channels form a continuously varying color pattern.
Figure 12 shows an example of intensity variation patterns for three
additive primary color channels. When they are added together, a
rainbow-like color projection pattern is formed. Note that this type of
color pattern does not necessarily follow a linear variation relationship
in color spectrum (wavelength). However, since the ratios among the
contributions from each color channel are known, the decoding scheme
is easy to derive and implement.

4. Stripe Indexing (Single Shot)

Stripe indexing is necessary to achieve robust 3D surface reconstruction,
because the order in which the stripes are observed is not necessarily
the same as the order in which the stripes are projected. This is due to
the inherent parallax existing in triangulation-based 3D surface imaging
systems and possibility to stripes missing from the acquired image
because of occlusion of the object 3D surface features. We now present
a few representative stripe indexing techniques.

4.1. Stripe Indexing Using Colors

Color image sensors usually have three independent acquisition channels, each corresponding to a spectrum band. The linear combination of
the values of these color components can produce an infinite number of
colors. Three 8-bit channels can represent 224 different colors. Such rich
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Figure 13

Stripe indexing using colors.

color information can be used to enhance 3D imaging accuracy and to

reduce acquisition time. For example, use of color for stripe indexing in
the projection patterns (Fig. 13) can help alleviate the ambiguity problem
faced by phase-shift or multiple-stripe techniques using monochromic
patterns [26,27]. This type of color-coded system can achieve real-time
3D surface imaging capability. It is also possible to encode multiple
patterns into a single color projection image, each pattern possessing a
unique color value in the color space. To reduce the decoding error rate,
one can select a color set in which each color has a maximum distance
from any other color in the set. The maximal number of colors in the set
is limited to the distance between colors that generate minimal cross talk
in the acquired images.

4.2. Stripe Indexing Using Segment Pattern

To distinguish one stripe from others, one can add some unique
segment patterns to each stripe (Fig. 14) such that, when performing
3D reconstruction, the algorithm can use the unique segment pattern
of each stripe to distinguish them. This indexing method, proposed
in [28], is intriguing and clever, but it only applies to a 3D object with
a smooth and continuous surface when the pattern distortion due to
surface shape is not severe. Otherwise, it may be very difficult to recover
the unique segment pattern, owing to deformation of the pattern and/or
discontinuity of the object surface.

4.3. Stripe Indexing Using Repeated Gray-Scale Pattern

If more than two intensity levels are used, it is possible to arrange
the intensity levels of stripes such that any group of stripes (a sliding
window of N stripes) has unique intensity pattern within a period of
length [29]. For example, if three gray levels are used (black, gray and
white), a pattern can be designed as (Fig. 15)
BWGWBGWGBGWBGBWBGW.
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Figure 14

Stripe indexing using segment pattern [28].

Figure 15

Stripe indexing using repeated gray-scale pattern.

The pattern matching process starts with a correlation of acquired image

intensity with projected intensity pattern. Once a match is located, a
further search is perform on a sub-gray-level-sequence match, such as
three-letter sequences WGB, GWB, etc.

4.4. Stripe Indexing Based on De Bruijn Sequence

A De Bruijn sequence [30] of rank n on an alphabet of size k is a cyclic
word in which each of the kn words of length n appears exactly once
as we travel around the cycle. A simple example of a De Bruijn circle
with n = 3 and k = 2 (the alphabet is {0, 1}) is shown in Fig. 16. As
we travel around the cycle (either clockwise or counterclockwise), we
will encounter each of the 23 = 8 three-digit patterns 000, 001, 010, 011,
100, 101, 110, 111 exactly once. There is no repeated three-digit pattern
in the sequence. In other word, no subsequence is correlated to any
other in the De Bruijn sequence. This unique feature of the De Bruijn
sequence can be used in constructing a stripe pattern sequence that has
unique local variation patterns that do not repeat themselves [3133].
Such uniqueness makes the pattern decoding an easier task. The graph
associated with a De Bruijn sequence is called a De Bruijn graph [34].
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Figure 16

Simple example of De Bruijn sequence.

Figure 17

Example of color stripe indexing based on De Bruijn sequence (k = 5, n =

3) [35].

Now we show an example of using binary combinations of (R, G, B)

colors to produce a color-indexed stripe based on De Bruijn sequence.
The maximum number of combinations of three colors is eight (=23 ).
Since we do not intend to use (0,0,0), we have only seven possible colors.
This problem can be solved by constructing a De Bruijn sequence with
k = 7, n = 3. This results in a sequence with 343 stripes. If the number
of stripes is too many, one can use a reduced set of a De Bruijn sequence
by setting k = 5, n = 3 [35]. The number of stripes in this case is reduced
to 125. There is an important constraint in constructing a color-indexed
stripe sequence using the De Bruijn technique: all neighboring stripes
must have different colors. Otherwise, some stripes with double or triple
width would occur, confusing the 3D reconstruction algorithms. This
constraint can be easily applied by using an XOR operant. Figure 17
shows a set of results with actual color-indexed stripe pattern. In this
stripe sequence, all neighboring stripes have different colors. Various
variations on the implementation of De Bruijn techniques can be used
to generate unique color-indexed, gray-scale-indexed, or other types of
projection patterns for 3D surface imaging applications.

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Figure 18

A 31 33 PRBA with primitive polynomial of degree 10 and subwindow size

5 2 [38].

5. Grid Indexing: 2D Spatial Grid Patterns

The basic concept of 2D grid pattern techniques is to uniquely label
every subwindow in the projected 2D pattern, such that the pattern in
any subwindow is unique and fully identifiable with respect to its 2D
position in the pattern.

5.1. Pseudo-random Binary Array (PRBA)

One grid indexing strategy is to use a pseudo-random binary array
(PRBA) to produce grid locations that can be marked by dots or
other patterns, such that the coded pattern of any subwindow is
unique. A PRBA is defined by an n1 n2 array encoded using a
pseudo-random sequence, such that any k1 by k2 subwindow sliding
over the entire array is unique and fully defines the subwindows
absolute coordinate (i, j) within the array. The coding pattern of the
binary array is generated based on a pseudo-random binary sequence
using the primitive polynomial modulo 2n method [3640], where 2n
1 = 2k1 k2 1, n1 = 2k1 1, n2 = 2n 1/n1 . Figure 18 shows an example of
a generated PRBA, where k1 = 5, k2 = 2, and thus n1 = 31, n2 = 33.

5.2. Mini-patterns Used as Code Words

Instead of using a pseudo-random binary array, a multivalued
pseudo-random array can be used. One can represent each value with
a mini-pattern as special code word, thus forming a grid-indexed
projection pattern [41]. Figure 19 shows an example of a three-valued
pseudo-random array and a set of mini-pattern code words (shown at
the lower right of the figure). Using the specially defined code words,
a multivalued pseudo-random array can be converted into a projection
pattern with unique subwindows.
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Figure 19

Using mini-patterns as code words for grid indexing [41].

Figure 20

An example of color-coded grids.

5.3. Color-Coded Grids

Another grid indexing strategy is to color code both vertical and
horizontal stripes so that a 2D grid indexing can be achieved [4244].
The vertical and horizontal stripe encoding schemes can either be the
same or totally different, depending on applications (Fig. 20). There is no
guarantee of the uniqueness of subwindows, but the colored stripes in
both directions can help the decoding in most situations in establishing
the correspondence. The thin grid lines may not be as reliable in pattern
extraction as other patterns (dots, squares, etc.).

5.4. 2D Array of Color-Coded Dots

There are alternative methods of generating the pseudo-random array. In
[45,46] a brute force algorithm was proposed to generate an array
that preserve the uniqueness of subwindows, but it may not exhaust
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Figure 21

Example of 2D array of color-coded dots.

all possible subwindow patterns. The method is relatively intuitive to

implement in computer algorithms. For example, Fig. 21 (left) shows
a 6 6 array with subwindow size of 3 3 using three code words
(R, G, B). The computing procedure is as follows: first fill the upper
left corner of the 6 6 array with a randomly chosen pattern. Then,
add a three-element column on the right with random code word. The
uniqueness of the subwindow is verified before adding such a column.
Keep adding the columns until all columns are filled with random code
words and subwindow uniqueness is verified. Similarly, add random
rows in the downward direction from the initial subwindow position.
Afterwards, add new random code words along the diagonal direction.
Repeat these procedures until all dots are filled with colors. Again,
this computational procedure may not guarantee the generation of a
pseudo-random array for all the array sizes and code words, but good
results have been achieved for many cases. Figure 21 (right) shows an
example of a pseudo-random array with 20 18 dimensions.

5.5. Hybrid Methods

There are many opportunities to improve specific aspect(s) of 3D surface
imaging system performance by combining more than one encoding
scheme discussed above. Figure 22 shows an example.

6. Performance Evaluation of 3D Surface Imaging

Systems
There are many factors that characterize technical performance of a 3D
surface imaging system. From application point of view, the following
three aspects are often used as the primary performance indexes to be
used to evaluate 3D imaging systems:
(1) Accuracy. Measurement accuracy denotes the maximum deviation
of the measurement value obtained by a 3D surface imaging system
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Figure 22

Example of combination of two 1D stripe codes into a 2D grid indexed pattern.

from the grand truth of the actual dimension of the 3D object.

Quite often, a 3D imaging system may have different accuracies in
different (x, y, z) directions because of the inherent design properties
of systems. Also, different manufacturers may use different ways to
characterize accuracy. For example, some may use average (mean)
error, uncertainty, error, RMS, or other statistical values. Therefore,
when comparing different systems, one has to understand the exact
meaning of any performance claims and compare them in the same
framework.
(2) Resolution. In most of the optical literature, optical resolution is
defined as the ability of an optical system to differentiated individual
points or lines in an image. Similarly, 3D image resolution denotes
the smallest portion of the object surface that a 3D imaging system
can resolve. However, in the 3D imaging community, the term
image resolution sometimes also denotes the maximum number
of measurement points a system is able to obtain in single frame. For
example, a 3D sensor with 640 480 pixels may be able to generate
307,200 measurement points for a single-shot acquisition. Given field
of view, standoff distance, and other factors, these two definitions of
image resolution can be converted to each other.
(3) Speed. Acquisition speed is important for imaging moving objects
(such as the human body). For single-shot 3D imaging systems,
the frame rate represents their ability to repeat the full-frame
acquisition in a short time interval. For sequential 3D imaging
systems (e.g., laser scanning systems), in addition to the frame rate,
there is another issue that needs to be considered: the object is
moving while sequential acquisition is performed; therefore, the
obtained full-frame 3D image may not represent a snapshot of the
3D object at a single location. Instead, it becomes an integration of
measurement points acquired in different time instances; therefore
the 3D shape may be distorted from the original shape of the 3D
object. There is another distinction, between acquisition speed and
the computation speed. For example, some systems are able to
acquire 3D images at 30 frames/s, but these acquired images need
to be postprocessed at a much slower frame rate to generate 3D data.
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Figure 23

Primary performance space of 3D surface imaging systems.

The above-mentioned three key performance indexes can be used

to compare 3D imaging systems. Figure 23 illustrates a primary
performance space in which each 3D imaging method may occupy a
spot, and multiple 3D imaging systems can then be compared intuitively.
Of course, the price/performance ratio and reliability of a system are also
important considerations when evaluating a 3D surface imaging system
for practical installations.
In addition to the primary performance indexes, there are virtually
unlimited numbers of performance indexes that can be used to characterize various specific aspects of 3D imaging systems. For example,
there is the depth of field of the 3D imaging system, which refers to
a range of standoff distance within which accurate 3D measurement
can be obtained. Ultimately, these types of system properties will
be reflected on the primary performance indexes (e.g., measurement
accuracy, resolution, and speed).
Field of view, baseline, and standoff distance may also be used to
characterize the behavior of 3D imaging systems. Structured-light 3D
imaging systems usually have limited standoff distance because of
limited energy of light projection, while time-of-flight sensors that rely
on single laser scanning can reach a distance of miles.
Each type of 3D imaging technique has its own pros and cons, and
we should judge a system by its overall performance for intended
applications.

7. Camera and Projector Calibration Techniques

An essential part of the 3D imaging technology is camera and projector
calibration techniques, which play a critical role in establishing the
measurement accuracy of 3D imaging systems. Camera calibration is a
well-known problem in computer vision. However, surprisingly, this key
aspect of 3D imaging technology has not received sufficient attention in
many 3D imaging technique reviews, research, and applications articles.
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Figure 24

Examples of calibration patterns images acquired from different angles and

distances.

Since most 3D imaging systems use 2D optical sensors, the camera

calibration procedures establish the relationship between a pixel on
a 2D image (in camera coordinates) and a straight line in 3D space
(world coordinates) along which the object point is located, taking lens
distortion into consideration. Usually, a simplified camera model and
a set of intrinsic parameters are used to characterize the relationships.
Several approaches and accompanying toolboxes are available [4749].
These procedures typically require images at several angles and
distances of a known calibration object. A planar checkerboard pattern is
a frequently used calibration object because it is very simple to produce,
can be printed with a standard printer, and has distinctive corners
that are easy to detect. An example image involving such a pattern is
shown in Fig. 24. From the images of the calibration pattern 2D to 3D
correspondences are constructed.

7.1. Camera Calibration Algorithms

Assume the plane of the planar calibration board in world coordinates
to be Z = 0; then each point on the calibration board becomes M =
[X, Y, 0, 1]T . Therefore, an object point M and its image point m are
related by a homographic matrix H:
m K[r1 , r2 , r3 , Rt][X, Y, 0, 1]T ,
m H[X, Y, 1]T ,
where H = [h1 , h2 , h3 ] = K[r1 , r2 , Rt] is a 33 matrix defined up to scale,
and r1 , r2 , r3 are 3 1 column vectors of the rotation matrix. Noticing
that for rotation matrix R the column vector r1 , r2 , r3 is orthonormal, we
therefore have
hT1 (KK T )1 hT2 = 0,
hT1 (KK T )1 hT1 = hT2 (KK T )1 hT2 .
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Each homography can provide two constrains on the intrinsic parameters. As K T K 1 in the equation above is a symmetry matrix, it can be
defined with a 6D vector:

A1 A2 A4
A K T K 1 = A2 A3 A5 ,
A4 A5 A6
a = [A1 , A2 , A3 , A4 , A5 , A6 ].
Let the ith column vector of H be hi = [hi1 , hi2 , hi3 ]. Then, we have
hTi Ahj = vij a,
where vij = [hi1 hj1 , hi1 hj2 + hi2 hj1 , hi2 hj2 , hi3 hj1 + hi1 hj3 , hi3 hj2 +
hi2 hj3 , hi3 hj3 ]T . The two constraints can then be rewritten as a homogeneous equation. In order to solve a, at least three images from different
viewpoints are needed. In practice, more images are used to reduce
the effect of noise, and a least-squares error solution is obtained with
singular value decomposition. Finally, the result can be optimized to
minimize the reprojection error by minimizing the energy function
below:
n X
m
X

_
k mij m(K,
R, t, Mj ) k2 .

i=1 j=1

7.2. Projector Calibration

The calibration of the projector is twofold: as an active light source, the
intensity of the projector needs to be calibrated in order to recover the
linearity of its illumination intensity, and as an inverse camera, it needs
to be geometrically calibrated like ordinary cameras.
7.2a. Intensity Calibration of Projector
To enhance the contrast, the intensity curve of the projector is often
altered with gamma transformation by projector vender. When used in
a 3D imaging system as an active light source, calibration is required
to recover the linearity of illumination intensity. To do so, several test
patterns are projected, and the projected patterns are captured by the
imaging sensor. The relationship between the actual intensity of the
projected pattern and image pixel value can be established, which is then
fitted with a high-order polynomial function. Then the inverse function
is calculated and used to rectify the pattern to be projected in the 3D
imaging process (Fig. 25).
7.2b. Geometric Calibration of Projector
Consider the projector as an inverse camera; the optic model of the
projector is the same as the camera, and the only difference between them
is the direction of projection. The inverse model makes the problem of
relating a pixel on a 2D image (in camera coordinates) with a straight line
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Figure 25
250

200

150

100

50

50

100

150

200

250

300

Intensity calibration of the projector. The blue curve is a plot of the fitted
function. The green curve is the inverse function. The red curve is rectified
intensity, which ought to be a straight line.

Figure 26

Dot array calibration pattern used in projector calibration.

in 3D space (world coordinates) difficult, as we cannot tell where a given

point in 3D space will be projected in the inverse camera coordinates.
The key issue in projector calibration is how the correspondence is
established. Once the correspondence is established, the projector can be
calibrated by using camera calibration algorithms .
Projector calibration is performed by using a precalibrated camera and a
calibration plane. First, the calibration plane is recovered in the camera
coordinate system. Then the calibration pattern (Fig. 26) is projected and
captured by the camera. 3D coordination of the corner points of the
chessboard pattern formed on the calibration plane can be determined
by reprojecting the corner points on the captured image onto the planer
plate, as the spatial relationship between the camera and the planer plate
is already recovered. Finally, the projector can be calibrated by using
the point correspondences acquired. This method is straightforward
in theory and relatively easy to implement. However, the calibration
accuracy of these methods depends heavily on the accuracy of the
precalibration of the camera.
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Figure 27

Example of 3D facial images acquired by a 3D camera developed by the author.

8. Application Examples of 3D Surface Imaging

Technologies
We provide several illustrative examples of interesting applications of
3D imaging technologies. These examples are by no mean exhaustive,
and there are numerous applications that we are not able to include here
because of space limitation.

8.1. 3D Facial Imaging

Human body parts are ideal objects for 3D imaging. Everyones body
parts are different. There is no digital CAD model of the human body;
thus each body part needs to be modeled by 3D imaging technology.
Figure 27 shows an example of a 3D facial image taken by a 3D camera
developed by the author. Both the shaded model and the wire-frame
model of 3D surface data are shown. There exist numerous applications
of 3D facial images, ranging from 3D facial recognition and plastic
surgery to personalized gifts made from 3D face of the owner.

8.2. 3D Dental Imaging

Figure 28 shows a few examples of 3D dental images taken by a 3D
camera developed by the author. Usually, a single 3D image (left) covers
a small section of a dental arch structure. Multiple 3D images are taken to
cover the entire surface area of a dental arch, and 3D mosaicing software
will be used to piece these multiple 3D image pieces seamlessly together
to form 3D model of the entire arch (right).

8.3. 3D Imaging Techniques for Plastic Surgery

3D imaging systems enable plastic surgeons to capture and display a
3D surface profile of the patients breast(s) for assessment, presurgery
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Figure 28

Examples of 3D dental images acquired by a 3D camera developed by the author.

Figure 29

Using 3D images for performing surgical planning for plastic surgeries. 3D

images were acquired by a 3D camera developed by the author.

treatment planning, posttreatment verification, patient communication,

and documentation. A 3D camera is able to capture all 3D surface
data (x, y, z) coordinates and associated 2D image texture data (color
overlay). Figure 29 shows an example of 3D surgical planning by
using 3D imaging techniques. The patient-specific 3D profile of breasts
acquired by a 3D camera can be used by doctor and patient to examine
simulated outcomes based upon implant choice, assisting in determining
the appropriate implant given volume measurements and possible
asymmetry.

8.4. 3D Model of Ear Impression for a Custom-Fit Hearing Aid

More than 28 million Americans suffer from some degrees of hearing
impairment, according to the statistics from National Institute on
Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The current process
of manufacturing custom-fit hearing aids is labor intensive and suffers
an about one third return-repair-remake rate. 3D imaging technology
could replace the traditional physical impression, thus eliminating the
cost and time associated with such an error-prone and uncomfortable
process. The digital impressions enable hearing aid manufacturers to
take advantages of the latest breakthrough in computer-aided-design
(CAD) and manufacturing (CAM) technologies and produce a custom-fit
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Figure 30

Example of 3D images of an ear impression acquired by a 3D camera developed

by the author.

Figure 31

Example of 3D CAD file of a mouse design digitized using a 3D camera

developed by the author.

hearing aid device within a one-day time frame (Fig. 30). More
important, the digital impression technology to be developed herein
could improve the quality of fit, thus enhancing the hearing functionality
for impaired people.

8.5. 3D Imaging for Reverse Engineering

Many ergonomic products are prototyped by using manual process so
the designer can get the touch and feel of the shape profile and optimize
it until it feels good. Such a manually made prototype can be converted
into a 3D CAD file by using a 3D camera system. Figure 31 shows an
example of 3D CAD file of a mouse design that was digitized by using a
3D camera built by the author.

8.6. 3D Imaging System for Airbag Analysis

High-speed 3D surface and volume measurements and tracking
capability are very important for characterizing the dynamic behavior
of airbags in order to optimize airbag design for insuring driver
and passenger safety. Traditionally, obtaining 3D surface and volume
measurement during airbag explosion is very difficult. Thanks to the
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Figure 32

High-speed 3D imaging system for airbag dynamic modeling: 3D image

sequence acquired during airbag explosion.

advance of 3D imaging technology, acquisition of accurate sequential 3D

surface and volume data of the airbag is now possible. Figure 32 shows
an example of a dynamic 3D data sequence obtained during a test airbag
explosion. These types of 3D data facilitate quantitative analysis of the
airbags behavior and provide a crucial means for optimizing the airbag
designs.

8.7. High-Speed 3D Imaging System for Vehicle Crash Tests

The most detrimental aspect of offset impacts, where only a portion
of the vehicles front structure is loaded, is the compartment intrusion
and violation of the occupants survival space. Injury consequences of
offset impacts are more closely related to timing, location, and velocity
of intrusion relative to the affected body region than to simply the degree
of final intrusion measured after the completion of the impacts. Intrusion
is also a detrimental factor in side impacts, rollovers, and other crash
modes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
is evaluating an offset impact test as a possible future requirement
for frontal protection. To effectively and quantitatively evaluate such
impacts, a dynamic intrusion sensing system is needed that can perform
dynamic measurement of compartment intrusion during staged crash
tests. High-speed 3D imaging technology is able to provide accurate
and quantitative measurement data of structural deformation of various
parts of the vehicle during crash tests. Figure 33 shows an example of
full-frame 3D images of a door panel under a test with various 3D data
visualization modalities.

8.8. 3D Imaging Technology for Accident Scene Investigation

Traffic accident scenes can be very complex, are open to arguable
interpretations, and are difficult for legal representation to communicate
with precision. Disputes may arise that often lead to costly and
time-consuming legal proceedings. 3D imaging technology can help
accurately document an accident scene, thus providing an effective
tool for legal and insurance cases. 3D accident scene reconstruction
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Figure 33

High-accuracy 3D imaging system for vehicle crashworthiness study.

Figure 34

3D imaging technology for accident scene investigation.

can illustrate the facts clearly and effectively. An accident scene can be
reenacted from any camera angle from a virtually unlimited number of
possible vantage points (Fig. 34).

9. Conclusions
This tutorial provided a comprehensive review of recent advances in
structured-light 3D surface imaging technologies and a few examples of
their applications to a variety of fields. We established a classification
framework to accommodate vast variations of 3D imaging techniques,
organized and presented in a systematic manner. Representative
techniques are briefly described and illustrative figures are provided
to help readers grasp their basic concepts. Performance indexes of 3D
imaging systems are also reviewed, and calibration techniques for both
camera and projector are presented. Selective examples of applications
of 3D imaging technology are presented.
There is a reason why so many 3D imaging techniques have been
developed to date. There is no single technique that can be applied to
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each and every application scenario. Each 3D imaging technique has its
own set of advantages and disadvantages. When selecting a 3D imaging
technique for a specific application, readers are encouraged to make
careful trade-offs among their specific application requirements and to
consider key performance indexes such as accuracy, resolution, speed,
cost, and reliability. Sometimes, multiple-modality sensor systems will
be needed to address demands that cannot be met by a single modality.
3D imaging is an interdisciplinary technology that draws contributions
from optical design, structural design, sensor technology, electronics,
packaging, and hardware and software. Traditionally, the 3D imaging
research activities from these disciplines are more or less independently pursued with different emphases. The recent trend in 3D
imaging research calls for an integrated approach, sometimes called
the computational imaging approach, in which optical design, the
sensor characteristics, and software processing capability are taken
into consideration simultaneously. This new approach promises to
significantly improve the performance and price/cost ratio of future 3D
imaging systems and is a worthwhile direction for future 3D imaging
technology development.
The field of 3D imaging technology is still quite young, compared
with its 2D counterpart that has developed over several decades
with multibillion dollar investments. It is our hope that our work
in developing and applying 3D imaging technologies to variety of
applications could provide some stimulation and attraction to more
talented researchers from both theoretical and application background
to this fascinating field of research and development.

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Jason Geng received his doctorial degree in Electrical

Engineering from the George Washington University
in 1990. Since then, he has leaded a variety of
research, development, and commercialization efforts on
3D imaging technologies. He has published more than
90 academic papers and one book, and is an inventor
on 22 issued patents. He received prestigious national
honors, including the Tibbetts Award from the U.S. Small
Business Administration and the Scientist Helping America award from the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and was ranked 257 in INC.
magazines INC. 500 List. Dr. Geng currently serves as the vice president for
the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society (ITSS). He is also leading
the Intelligent Transportation System standard efforts by serving as the chairman
of the standard committee for IEEE ITSS.

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