Geometrix, Inc.

Sandor Fejes

Arthur L Zwern

Francesco Callari

Oleg Mishin

Roman Waupotitsch

Esfandiar Bandari

Jinlong Chen

Anrong Peng

A 3D modeling system for automatically generating fully-textured 3D models of objects from a sequence of images taken around the objects is disclosed. There are several processes developed to facilitate the operation of the 3D modeling system by an ordinary skilled person. One of the processes is the automatic calibration of a camera using only a portion of a calibration disc to essentially provide a larger effective field of view of the camera. Another process is a space carving process that subdivides volumetric cells recursively to fit to a 3D object using a tree structure that encodes the entire process. Still another process is a 3D mesh model generation process that begins with the tree structure and generates self-constraint and interconnected triangles, in a sense that all triangles intersect with each other either not at all or at common boundary faces, to represent the shape of the 3D object. Yet still another process is a textured patch process that provides a useful mechanism for a user to edit and modify a fully-textured 3D model in a desired manner by the user.

Method and system for generating fully-textured 3D

A 3D modeling system employing a commercially available structured light source is disclosed. The light source projecting a light stripe is swung manually across an object or a particular area of interest on the surface of the object. Under the illumination of the swinging light stripe, the object is imaged to produce a sequence of images. For each of the images, the position and orientation of the structured light source are independently and dynamically derived. From each of the images, a set of curvilinear points from the (deformed) projected line falling on the object or the area of interest are calculated in conjunction with a calibration model of the imager. The curvilinear points from all the images are merged to provide accurate and complete 3D data about the object or the area of interest.

Generating 3D models by combining models from a video-based technique and data from a structured light technique

Generating 3-D models using a manually operated structured light source

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Sandor Fejes