Methods of processing and representing the results of measurements of three-dimensional surfaces

This paper proposes methods of approximating, representing, and visualizing the results of measurements of three-dimensional curved surfaces. The approximation is carried out using adaptive networks. The approximation can use a priori information concerning the degree of smoothness of the surface and concerning the character and value of the measurement errors. The methods are embodied in a software package. Workability is demonstrated by approximating the wavefront of a laser beam. (C) 1998 The Optical Society of America.