SBIR Phase I: Ultra-high-speed 3-D imaging

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of a new three-dimensional (3-D) imaging technology capable of non-contact high resolution 3-D surface shape measurement at rates up to five orders of magnitude faster than existing techniques. Technology for measuring shapes of 3-D surfaces is used in many applications, but state-of-the-art non-contact 3D metrology systems have relatively slow acquisition speeds and are susceptible to errors due to object discontinuities as well as lighting and reflectivity variations. The technology developed in this project will dramatically advance metrology-class 3-D imaging speeds from a few frames per second to several million frames per second (MHz) while providing metrological accuracy. The Phase I effort will demonstrate several novel enabling technologies including pattern projection and image acquisition on microsecond time scales, and an efficient metrological 3-D image reconstruction algorithm that is robust for a wide range of lighting conditions, scene compositions, and surface properties. The results of these research activities will lead to a complete system design for an ultra-high-speed 3-D imaging system. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project lies in its capacity to boost productivity, increase security and safety, improve medical care, and improve the lives of handicapped individuals. Markets with unmet needs for high-speed 3-D surface imaging include aerospace and automotive design, testing, and manufacturing; machine component testing and structural analysis; facial recognition of moving targets; machine vision for robotic navigation; ballistics testing; aviation and automotive collision analysis; 3-D image-guided surgery; treatment of orthopedic injuries; vision aids for the blind; and many others. While commercial 3-D imaging systems do not currently offer the combination of speed, portability, accuracy, and robustness required for many of these applications, the proposed technology will be able to meet these needs. In addition to its commercial market value, this technology will allow scientists and engineers to make new discoveries by studying dynamic systems and phenomena in 3-D with spatial and temporal resolution never before available.