| 3D
Scanning Products > System Description
TriForm uses normal white light to capture the 3D geometry and
associated colour of a surface. The system includes one or more capture
units connected to a PC running the TriForm software. The software
controls the synchronisation, processing, display and analysis
functions. Various configurations of TriForm 3D scanners are available
including specialised units for capturing the human head, legs or whole
body.
Capturing
 A capture unit includes a
projector that shines horizontal patterns of striped light onto the
surface to be scanned and a camera which captures each of the patterns
as they are projected.
A system may consist of multiple capture units. For example, the
TriForm BodyScanner has a total of four capture units, each using
mirrors to capture the surface of the body from two directions - giving
a total of eight views.
Because the capture method uses white light, it is totally safe, no
other form of radiation or laser is used to capture the surface
geometry or colour information.
As soon as the images have been captured, they are automatically passed
to a PC controller where the distortions in the patterns are analysed
and the coordinates of the 3D surface are calculated.
Processing
A PC controller runs the TriForm software which processes the striped
images and creates a 3D point cloud output.
 When initially projected,
the lines are parallel and horizontal, but upon hitting a curved
surface (e.g. a human body) the lines distort and bend. This is the
principle behind TriForm.
The software automatically analyses the distortions and calculates the
position of the surface in 3D space. This calculation is repeated many
times to create a cloud of 3D coordinates that describe the surface
that has been captured. In the case of the TriForm BodyScanner,
approximately 1.5 million points are calculated to describe the entire
body.
Display
Once processed into a raw point cloud format, it is possible to then
display the image using a number of different methods depending on the
demands of the particular application. For example, internet
visualisation requires low file sizes and high quality colour, but only
basic geometric information is necessary to communicate the shape of
the object to the person viewing it. Colour mapped, polygonised models
would therefore suit this particular application.
Further
Information
For more information on Wicks and Wilson, the TriForm system and 3D
images in general, the following pdf documents are available for
download:
An insight into the design, manufacture and
practical use of a 3D body scanning system
Towards
photo-realistic 3D image capture
Wicks and Wilson - 3D Scanning System Description
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