From images to models: automatic 3D object model construction from multiple views

Automatic 3D object model construction is important in applications ranging from manufacturing to entertainment industry, since CAD models of existing objects may be either unavailable or unusable. We describe a prototype system for automatically registering and integrating multiple views of objects using surface depth data to construct their geometric models. New techniques for handling key issues such as robust estimation of view transformations relating multiple views and seamless integration of registered data to form an unbroken surface have been proposed and implemented in our system. Our system has been tested on depth data that were obtained using digital interferometry techniques as well as a laser range scanner. Experimental results on real object surfaces demonstrate the good performance of our system.