Shape and surface measurement technology by an improved shape-from-shading neural algorithm

A new approach for measuring the shape and surface of an object observed from a single camera is proposed. The proposed approach is based on using the neural networks as a parametric representation of the three-dimensional object and the shape-from-shading problem is formulated as the minimization of an intensity error function with respect to the network weights. Experimental results demonstrate that the authors' proposed methodology exhibits high efficiency and accuracy for measuring and inspecting a product's surface in the manufacturing industry.