A New Method for Estimating Planar Surface Orientation from Texture

This paper addresses the estimating of surface orientation using a set of texels. Reducing dependency to pattern، simplification of process procedure and improving accuracy are key points of the proposed method. Proposed method consists of two parts. In the first part، it is assumed that scene texels are located in rows and columns. In this part، a different approach from that used in previous shape from texture algorithms is used. Two new angles α and β are defined and thus more simple equations are obtained to estimate the normal vector of surface. The advantage of the proposed method is that the geometry of texels is not important and only repetitive property of texels is used. In addition، to improve the accuracy، texels considered as an array. In the second part، by using theory and results of the first part، laser pattern projection is proposed. It is necessary to emphasis that the assumptions of the first part، i. e. columnar and in row texels، are easily achievable because texels are projected by laser sources that are tunable in position and direction.