Hyper-accurate flexible calibration technique for fringe-projection-based three-dimensional imaging

Fringe-projection-based (FPB) three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique has become one of the most prevalent methods for 3D shape measurement and 3D image acquisition, and an essential component of the technique is the calibration process. This paper presents a framework for hyper-accurate system calibration with flexible setup and inexpensive hardware. Owing to the crucial improvement in the camera calibration technique, an enhanced governing equation for 3D shape determination, and an advanced flexible system calibration technique as well as some practical considerations on accurate fringe phase retrieval, the novel FPB 3D imaging technique can achieve a relative measurement accuracy of 0.010%. The validity and practicality are verified by both simulation and experiments. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America