Shape from photometric stereo and contours

Abstract

We propose a method for 3D shape recovery based on the combination of the photometric stereo and the shape from contours method. For the photometric stereo method, we present an improvement on the integration of gradient data obtained by the photometric stereo method, which is achieved using a zero padding approach for interpolation in the frequency domain. The application of the photometric stereo method towards the recovery of surface reflectance values is also discussed. For the shape from contours method, we describe the implementation of an automatic shape from contours system constructed during this research. We also present results from different projects involving 3D shape recovery methods throughout the course of this research. Using the refined photometric stereo method, in conjunction with the shape from contours method, we propose the shape from photometric stereo and contours method to combine the advantages of the photometric stereo and the shape from contours methods and overcome the limitations of each method. Therefore, the proposed method is able to provide more accurate reconstructions and expand the range of possible applications. The proposed shape from photometric stereo and contours method is described and experimental results are given to show its improvement over individual shape recovery methods. Finally, we discuss the future research directions and possible applications of our work.