Recovery of three-dimensional shapes by using defocused structured light

We present a new concept for three-dimensional shape recovery using defocused structured light (DSL) images. The DSL technique externally extracts the depth information from the scene by using projections of cylindrical wavefronts on the object. These projections show different degrees of defocus as a function of the depth. Efficient algorithms for shape recovery are developed taking advantage of the spatial regularity of the projected light and the profile of each fringe. In this way a depth map of the scene is obtained using only one image. Experimental results are shown and we discuss the possibility of a real time implementation.