Design of a fiber optics fringe projector for 3D reconstruction of dental elements

In this paper the design of a miniaturized fringe-projector is presented. The projector is intended to be inserted in a triangulation scheme in order to allow implementation of projection moire technique. The system is specifically designed to be part of a device for contouring complex shapes like those of dental elements. The proposed fringe projection system is based upon the projection of the pattern obtained as a result of the interference between the two points-like sources constituted by the wavefronts emerging by two fiber tips put next together. Results obtained on calibrated specimens confirms the feasibility of the proposed approach. In fact, shape errors observed for the calibrated specimens are below the level of precision required in tooth reconstruction (100 mu m).