Acquiring 3D object models from specular motion using circular lights illumination

This work recovers 3D graphics models of objects with specular surfaces. An object is rotated and continuous images of it are taken. Circular lights that generate cones of rays are used to illuminate the rotating object. When the lights are properly set each point on the object can be highlighted during the rotation. The shape for each rotational plane is measured independently using its corresponding epipolar plane image. A 3D graphics model is subsequently reconstructed by combining shapes at different rotation planes. Computing a shape is simple and requires only the motion of the highlight on each rotation plane. Results not obtained before are given in the 3D shape recovery experiments on real objects.