Design of coded structured light pattern for 3D facial surface capture

In the context of 3D face recognition, facial surfaces are advantageously captured by a structured light acquisition system, which is typically quick, low cost and uses off-the-shelve components. The light pattern projected, a key aspect of the structured light approach, makes the major difference between developed systems. In most of them, elements of the light pattern must be identified by a property such as element thickness or colour. We present in this paper the design of projected patterns that led to the realisation of three 3D acquisition prototypes.