APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING SURFACE TEXTURE INFORMATION

An apparatus and method for obtaining surface texture information using photometric stereo. The material for which surface height and reflectance function information is desired ("the material") is illuminated with an illumination source emitting electromagnetic waves, preferably in the form of white light, which is consequently reflected by the material to be scanned into an imaging sensor. The position and orientation of the illumination source relative to the sensor is constant. The material is placed within or on top of a holding apparatus, such as a pane of glass, which is oriented in order to keep the illumination vector constant with respect to the imaged surface. The illumination source and sensor are moved in unison across the surface in order to progressively capture a complete image of the surface; this operation may be facilitated in practice through the use of hardware such as a flatbed scanner.