Shape reconstruction within an optical diffusion model

Shape reconstruction with an optical diffuser has some significant advantages such as high-precision depth estimation with a small lens, depth estimation for distant objects, and less sensitivity to lens aberrations. However, no optical diffusion model has been proposed to relate depth information to the basic principle of intensity distribution during optical diffusion. In this paper, heat diffusion equation in physics is introduced into optical diffusion, and a mathematic model of intensity distribution during optical diffusion is constructed. A high-precision shape reconstruction method with optical diffusion is proposed based on heat diffusion equation. First, an optical diffusion model is introduced to explain the basic principle of diffusion imaging process. Second, a novel shape reconstruction method based on global heat diffusion is proposed within our optical diffusion model. Finally, simulation with synthetic images and experiment with five playing cards are conducted, and the result proves the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.