3D range data compression with a virtual fringe projection system

Abstract

This paper presents our recent research on 3D range data compression using the virtual fringe projection techniques. Specifically, the virtual fringe projection system converts arbitrary 3D object into one single red, green, and blue (RGB) color image that can be further compressed using standard image compression techniques. Since the virtual fringe projection system can be ideal (e.g., no ambient lighting, no surface reflectivity variations, perfect tele-centric lens), making it convenient to apply algorithms that is difficult to be realized in a practical fringe projection system. For example, only using three fringe patterns, pixel by pixel absolute phase can be calculated without adopting a global fringe analysis techniques (e.g., Fourier transform). We will demonstrate that extremely high compression ratios can be easily achieved with the proposed method.