State-of-The-Art and Applications of 3D Imaging Sensors in Industry, Cultural Heritage, Medicine, and Criminal Investigation

• Main Authors: Giovanna Sansoni, Marco Trebeschi, Franco Docchio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2009-01-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: 3D sensors; surface quality control; reverse engineering; optical triangulation; crime scene investigation; heritage restoration; virtual reality
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/9/1/568/

3D imaging sensors for the acquisition of three dimensional (3D) shapes have created, in recent years, a considerable degree of interest for a number of applications. The miniaturization and integration of the optical and electronic components used to build them have played a crucial role in the achievement of compactness, robustness and flexibility of the sensors. Today, several 3D sensors are available on the market, even in combination with other sensors in a “sensor fusion†approach. An importance equal to that of physical miniaturization has the portability of the measurements, via suitable interfaces, into software environments designed for their elaboration, e.g., CAD-CAM systems, virtual renders, and rapid prototyping tools. In this paper, following an overview of the state-of-art of 3D imaging sensors, a number of significant examples of their use are presented, with particular reference to industry, heritage, medicine, and criminal investigation applications.