Optical 3D shape measurement with structured light

Structured light projection systems can be used in a wide range of applications where information about shape or shape deviations is required. Systems we have developed use off-the-shelf hardware components like multimedia data projectors and cameras. They provide fast and robust shape data with a high resolution and accuracy at a very low cost. When we have obtained accurate 3D profiles, subsequent processing can extract mechanical parameters such as sizes, radii and angles, customised to each application. An example of such an application is the measurement of weld toe radius and angle, which are related to fatigue strength.