Acquisition of Ray Data from Range and Color Data of 3-D Objects

A ray-based method has been proposed as a neutral description method for various kinds of 3-D images. In this paper, we propose a new method for converting a set of range and color data of 3-D objects obtained by a range finder into ray data. This method enables us to handle range data in the same manner as other kinds of 3-D images and to use conventional image processing techniques to improve the quality of reconstructed images. Furthermore, to compensate for the missing of range data caused by some restrictions inherent to a range finder, we examine the ray-based merging method of multiple sets of range and color data of the same object, which are obtained under different conditions. Experimental results show the usefulness of the proposed method to facilitate a range finder as an input device of 3-D information in an integrated 3-D communication system.