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