US 12,137,200 B2
Three dimensional strobo-stereoscopic imaging systems and associated methods
ChaBum Lee, College Station, TX (US)
Assigned to The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (US)
Filed by The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (US)
Filed on Sep. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/944,384.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/244,119, filed on Sep. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0082607 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 13/156 (2018.01); H04N 13/167 (2018.01); H04N 13/239 (2018.01); H04N 13/254 (2018.01)
CPC H04N 13/156 (2018.05) [H04N 13/167 (2018.05); H04N 13/239 (2018.05); H04N 13/254 (2018.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A three-dimensional (3D) strobo-stereoscopic imaging system, the system comprising:
a rotary drive configured to couple to a sample to be imaged by the system, wherein the rotary drive is configured to rotate the sample about a rotational axis when coupled to the rotary drive;
a stroboscopic illuminator configured to stroboscopically illuminate the sample when the sample is coupled to the rotary drive;
a stroboscopic control module coupled to the rotary drive and the stroboscopic illuminator, wherein the stroboscopic control module comprises a processor and a memory device encoded with instructions that, when executed by the processor of the stroboscopic control module, cause the stroboscopic control module to repeatedly activate the stroboscopic illuminator at a frequency that is based on a rotational speed of the sample about the rotational axis;
a stereoscopic imaging unit comprising a pair of laterally spaced cameras orientable in the direction of a radially outer surface of the sample and configured to capture two-dimensional (2D) images of different circumferential sections of the radially outer surface of the sample as the sample is rotated about the rotational axis by the rotary drive; and
an image reconstruction module in signal communication with the stereoscopic imaging unit, wherein the image reconstruction module comprises a processor and a memory device encoded with instructions that, when executed by the processor of the image reconstruction module, cause the image reconstruction module to reconstruct a 3D image of the sample from the plurality of 2D images of the different circumferentially extending sections of the radially outer surface of the sample captured by the pair of cameras of the stereoscopic imaging unit.