Abstract: A high-speed three-dimensional surface measurement system for use in determining the surface of an object from at least one electronic signal produced by a mini-moire sensor. At least one light source illuminates at least a surface area of the object with at least one fringe pattern. The light source has a hidden change distribution grating or matrix of gratings for producing the fringe pattern. The grating has hidden variations distributed substantially across the grating. The grating has a pseudo-random grating pattern in which a nominal fringe pattern has a small uniform period with the hidden variations distributed statistically across the grating. The hidden variations are so small that at any one point on the grating a noise-like value of the hidden variations is on the order of an overall noise equivalent phase value. A CCD camera receives reflected illumination from the surface area and provides an electronic signal representative of reflected illumination received thereby.

Abstract: A device for measuring a three-dimensional shape of an elongate member which comprises a first image detector and a second image detector, a projected image computing device, and a center line computing device. The first image detector and the second image detector detect a two-dimensional image of an image of the elongate member projected onto a planar surface. The projected image computing device computes each central line of the projected image of the elongate member from each of the images detected by the first image detector and the second image detector. Then, the center line computing device detects a plane including the central line obtained from the first image detector and the position of the first image detector, and another plane including the other central line obtained from the second image detector and the position of the second image detector, thereby obtaining a center line of the elongate member along which the planes intersect each other.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for 3-D vision sensing or measurement to rapidly collect X-Y-Z surface data to support dimensional measurement, surface inspection and Reverse-CAD functions. The high-speed three-dimensional surface measurement system for use in determining the surface of an object from at least two electronic signals, has at least a first source for illuminating at least a surface area of the object with at least one fringe pattern.

Abstract: Video monitors sequentially displaying coarse bar patterns of various spatial frequencies are spaced two feet or more from a painted surface to be inspected. Video cameras, also spaced far from the surface, view the images reflected from the paint and a computer system analyzes the images by determining the modulation transfer function (MTF) of each reflecting surface. Surface curvature is compensated for by selecting the spatial frequencies in the sequence of patterns in accordance with the effect of the curvature on a reference pattern. The area under the MTF curve correlates to the distinctness of image of the surface and the area under the low spatial frequency portion of the curve correlates to orange peel.

Abstract: An auto-alignment system for high energy lasers wherein a low energy reference beam is provided at the vertex of a primary mirror that is grated to diffract a low energy holographic replica of the high energy beam. A photodetector based servo-control system compares the line-of-sight of the reference beam to that of the low energy replica and generates control signals which actuate a beam steering mirror to reposition the main beam. The servo-control system also includes a wavefront sensor. This sensor analyzes the wavefront profile of the low energy replica and generates control signals which actuate a deformable mirror to correct spurious wavefront aberrations.

Abstract: A correlation tracker for generating correlation error tracking signals over an entire video frame. Video information from a scanning receiver is inputted into the correlation tracker in serial form. The correlation tracker first incorporates apparatus to generate a reference map in pixel format. Reference map pixel information for one video frame plus one video line is stored in a memory to allow the calculation of azimuth and elevation optimal weighting values for each pixel in the field of view. Each video pixel of data being received during the current frame is then summed with the corresponding reference map pixel from the prior frame and the result multiplied by the appropriate weighting function. Each resultant product is then combined in an accumulator to form azimuth and elevation correlation error signals which are composite indications of the frame-to-frame correlation over the entire field of view.