Windowed Fourier transform for fringe pattern analysis

Fringe patterns in optical metrology systems need to be demodulated to yield the desired parameters. Time-frequency analysis is a useful concept for fringe demodulation, and a windowed Fourier transform is chosen for the determination of phase and phase derivative. Two approaches are developed: the first is based on the concept of filtering the fringe patterns, and the second is based on the best match between the fringe pattern and computer-generated windowed exponential elements. I focus on the extraction of phase and phase derivatives from either phase-shifted fringe patterns or a single carrier fringe pattern. Principles as well as examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

Modified Fourier transform method for interferogram fringe pattern analysis

A modified Fourier transform method for interferogram fringe pattern analysis is proposed. While it retains most of the advantages of the Fourier transform method, the new method overcomes some drawbacks of the previous method. It eliminates the assumptions of slowly varying phase variation in the test section and the constant spatial carrier frequency. It also extends the frequency bandwidth and avoids phase distortion caused by discreteness of the sampling frequency. Both numerical simulation and experimental examination are performed to evaluate the performance of the method.     

Windowed Fourier transform for fringe pattern analysis: addendum

Novel approaches based on windowed Fourier transform for demodulation of fringe patterns were previously presented [Appl. Opt. 43, 2695-2702 (2004)], where extraction of phase and phase derivatives from either phase-shifted fringe patterns or a single-carrier fringe pattern was the main focus. I show that the same methods can be applied to process a single closed-fringe pattern in either noise reduction or phase approximation, which adds to the versatility of the windowed Fourier-transform method for fringe pattern analysis.     

Windowed Fourier transform for fringe pattern analysis: theoretical analyses

A windowed Fourier ridges (WFR) algorithm and a windowed Fourier filtering (WFF) algorithm have been proposed for fringe pattern analysis and have been demonstrated to be versatile and effective. Theoretical analyses of their performances are of interest. Local frequency and phase extraction errors by the WFR and WFF algorithms are analyzed in this paper. Effectiveness of the WFR and WFF algorithms will thus be theoretically proven. Consider four phase-shifted fringe patterns with local quadric phase [c(20)=c(02)=0.005 rad/(pixel)(2)], and assume that the noise in these fringe patterns have mean values of zero and standard deviations the same as the fringe amplitude. If the phase is directly obtained using the four-step phase-shifting algorithm, the phase error has a mean of zero and a standard deviation of 0.7 rad. However, when using the WFR algorithm with a window size of sigma(x)=sigma(y)=10 pixels, the local frequency extraction error has a mean of zero and a standard deviation of less than 0.01 rad/pixel and the phase extraction error in the WFR algorithm has a mean of zero and a standard deviation of about 0.02 rad. When using the WFF algorithm with the same window size, the phase extraction error has a mean of zero and a standard deviation of less than 0.04 rad and the local frequency extraction error also has a mean of zero and a standard deviation of less than 0.01 rad/pixel. Thus, an unbiased estimation with very low standard deviation is achievable for local frequencies and phase distributions through windowed Fourier transforms. Algorithms applied to different fringe patterns, different noise models, and different dimensions are discussed. The theoretical analyses are verified by numerical simulations.     

用散斑摄影术研究地质构造相似模型裂缝分布规律

应用激光散斑摄影术形成多张二次曝光散斑图系统,测定了四川九龙山地质构造相似模型的三维位移场,并据此分析了该构造可能存在裂缝的位置分布,为油气勘探提供了一定的实验依据。实践表明,这种方法在研究地质结构方面具有广阔的应用前景。     

Two-dimensional wavelet transform for reliability-guided phase unwrapping in optical fringe pattern analysis

This paper theoretically discusses modulus of two-dimensional (2D) wavelet transform (WT) coefficients, calculated by using two frequently used 2D daughter wavelet definitions, in an optical fringe pattern analysis. The discussion shows that neither is good enough to represent the reliability of the phase data. The differences between the two frequently used 2D daughter wavelet definitions in the performance of 2D WT also are discussed. We propose a new 2D daughter wavelet definition for reliability-guided phase unwrapping of optical fringe pattern. The modulus of the advanced 2D WT coefficients, obtained by using a daughter wavelet under this new daughter wavelet definition, includes not only modulation information but also local frequency information of the deformed fringe pattern. Therefore, it can be treated as a good parameter that represents the reliability of the retrieved phase data. Computer simulation and experimentation show the validity of the proposed method.     

Spatial fringe pattern analysis using the two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform employing a cost function

We present a novel ridge extraction algorithm for use with the two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform to extract the phase information from a fringe pattern. A cost function is employed for the detection of the ridge. The results of the proposed algorithm on simulated and real fringe patterns are illustrated. Moreover, the proposed algorithm outperforms the maximum ridge extraction algorithm and it is found to be robust and reliable.     

Parameter discretization in two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform for fast fringe pattern analysis

The two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform (2D-CWT) technique provides robust processing for digital fringe pattern analysis. To cope with the problem of long computation time, a concept called the cover map is introduced to speed up the 2D-CWT analysis. The cover map is constructed by discretizing the continuous dilation and rotation parameters. The discretized parameters help substantially reduce the processing time without affecting the analysis accuracy. The theories are presented and the validity and effectiveness of the proposed concept are demonstrated by computer simulation and real experiment.     

Speckle photography with different pupils in a multiple-exposure scheme

The use of different multiple-aperture pupils for recording each image in speckle photography is proposed. The introduction of suitable spatial frequency carriers, by internally modulating imaged speckles, allows one to selectively isolate or combine the spectral content of different images into spatially separated regions in the Fourier plane. Theoretical and experimental results extend the speckle photography technique to the depiction of several specklegrams of multiple uniform in-plane displacements. In this case, because different pupils are considered for recording, the cross-correlation functions for the amplitudes and intensities in the image plane are calculated on the basis of the statistical properties of the object. Also, the ensemble-average intensity in the Fourier plane is analytically derived, and fringe visibility is investigated.     

双色正弦投影傅里叶变换轮廓术方法研究

提出双色正弦条纹投影方法来提高 FTP 的测量范围并保持其实时特点。只需采集一帧双色变形条纹,从中分离出两个有 π 位相差的分量,通过背景和对比度校正,得到一帧消零频的变形条纹图,并且自动生成物体轮廓的二元模板。此模板结合调制度信息相可以生成可靠性模板,指导相位展开,避免物体轮廓以外相位展开误差的传递;结合参考条纹可以完成变形条纹的扩充,提高频域的分辨率。     

Microshape and rough-surface analysis by fringe projection

A fringe-projection system for microscopic applications, fringe-projecting microscopy, is developed and analyzed. Projection of the grating and imaging of the fringe system, modulated by the surface, are accomplished by the same high-aperture objective. The spectrum of the grating is spatially filtered and projected into the aperture with a lateral shift, which leads to a telecentric projection under oblique incidence and telecentric imaging. Topographies of specularly as well as diffusely reflecting surfaces can be obtained. The measurement of highly rough surfaces is described together with preprocessing steps. The resulting intensity distribution of the fringes is analyzed. Formulas for vertical and lateral resolution, measuring range, and dynamic range, based on noise considerations, are presented and verified by topographies of technical surfaces.     

Spatial carrier fringe pattern demodulation by use of a two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform

A novel technique that uses a fan two-dimensional (2D) continuous wavelet transform (CWT) to phase demodulate fringe patterns is proposed. The fan 2D CWT algorithm is tested by using computer generated and real fringe patterns. The result of this investigation reveals that the 2D CWT technique is capable of successfully demodulating fringe patterns. The proposed algorithm demodulates fringe patterns without the requirement of removing their background illumination prior to the demodulation process. Also, the algorithm is exceptionally robust against speckle noise. The performance of the 2D CWT technique in fringe pattern demodulation is compared with that of the 1D CWT algorithms. This comparison indicates that the 2D CWT outperforms its 1D counterpart for this application.     

Speckle shearing photography: a tool for direct measurement of surface strains

I report on a new optical technique that uses the principles of speckle photography and wave-front shearing to obtain the measurement of surface strains. The strain information stored at each point on the object surface is read out on a point-wise basis. The method is developed from a theoretical point of view, and experimental results are presented.     

Natural demodulation of two-dimensional fringe patterns. II. Stationary phase analysis of the spiral phase quadrature transform

Utilizing the asymptotic method of stationary phase, I derive expressions for the Fourier transform of a two-dimensional fringe pattern. The method assumes that both the amplitude and the phase of the fringe pattern are well-behaved differentiable functions. Applying the limits in two distinct ways, I show, first, that the spiral phase (or vortex) transform approaches the ideal quadrature transform asymptotically and, second, that the approximation errors increase with the relative curvature of the fringes. The results confirm the validity of the recently proposed spiral phase transform method for the direct demodulation of closed fringe patterns.     

Multiscale windowed Fourier transform for phase extraction of fringe patterns

A multiscale windowed Fourier transform for phase extraction of fringe patterns is presented. A local stationary length of signal is used to control the window width of a windowed Fourier transform automatically, which is measured by an instantaneous frequency gradient. The instantaneous frequency of the fringe pattern is obtained by detecting the ridge of the wavelet transform. The numerical simulation and experiment have proved the validity of this method. The combination of the windowed Fourier transform and the wavelet transform makes the extracted phase more precise than other methods.     

Digital transform processing of carrier fringe patterns from speckle-shearing interferometry

Abstract

The Fourier transform (FT) and the wavelet transform (WT) methods are used to process the fringe carrier pattern resulting from speckle-shearing inteferometry, in which the carrier frequency is modulated by deformation of a bending plate. Both the amount and the sign of the first derivative of the out-of-plane displacement can be obtained by these two transform techniques in the whole field. Phase distributions of the deflection slope are compared, which shows the wavelet analysis gives a better solution with noise reduction and without deficiency of filter window choice as for that in the Fourier transform. Meanwhile, the phase values in the path along the maximum WT amplitudes give a direct map of the second derivative patterns of the deflection, which presents the same image as that given by the shearing subtraction of the phase patterns from the inverse Fourier transformation but avoids the processing of unwrapping for the phase reconstruction.     

Efficient fringe image enhancement based on dual-tree complex wavelet transform

In optical phase shift profilometry (PSP), parallel fringe patterns are projected onto an object and the deformed fringes are captured using a digital camera. It is of particular interest in real time three-dimensional (3D) modeling applications because it enables 3D reconstruction using just a few image captures. When using this approach in a real life environment, however, the noise in the captured images can greatly affect the quality of the reconstructed 3D model. In this paper, a new image enhancement algorithm based on the oriented two-dimenional dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) is proposed for denoising the captured fringe images. The proposed algorithm makes use of the special analytic property of DT-CWT to obtain a sparse representation of the fringe image. Based on the sparse representation, a new iterative regularization procedure is applied for enhancing the noisy fringe image. The new approach introduces an additional preprocessing step to improve the initial guess of the iterative algorithm. Compared with the traditional image enhancement techniques, the proposed algorithm achieves a further improvement of 7.2 dB on average in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). When applying the proposed algorithm to optical PSP, the new approach enables the reconstruction of 3D models with improved accuracy from 6 to 20 dB in the SNR over the traditional approaches if the fringe images are noisy.     

Speckle correlation photography for the study of water content and sap flow in plant leaves

The speckle pattern fluctuation in the leaf of a plant is investigated by using speckle correlation photography. The speckle correlation method is used to extract the amount of speckle pattern fluctuations. The speckle pattern fluctuations are related to the water content of the sap, which is in the veinous structure of a leaf. The speed of sap flow in veins is obtained by this method.