An innovative approach to surface inspection using an alliance of machine vision and computer graphical techniques

The analysis of surface properties represents one of the most challenging and rapidly developing applications for machine vision today. Numerous manufacturing and processing tasks involve the control of surface attributes, such as three-dimensional shape, surface topographic texture, and two-dimensional coloured patterns. An innovative technique has been developed for the analysis of concomitant topographic and albedo surface features, which combines novel elements of three-dimensional machine vision and computer graphics, to create an entirely new approach to surface inspection. The method allows the simultaneous extraction, isolation and analysis of three-dimensional topographic and two-dimensional albedo surface data. Unlike conventional 'image-centered' analysis, the new method offers an 'object-centred' approach to surface inspection, creating significant opportunities for increased flexibility in application, and greater tolerance to variation in object pose.