From: jpc@tauon.ph.unimelb.edu.au (John Costella)
Subject: Re: SCI: Constructing 3d surface model of an object?
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 93 21:47:28 EST



> From: sureshk@suntzu.wpd.sgi.com (suresh krishnajois)
> Subject: SCI: Constructing 3d surface model of an object?
> 
> Could any of you help me with the following:
> 
> Is there a technique using which one can scan the surface of an object
> and construct a 3D surface model of the object for incorporation into
> computer graphics models and thereafter into VR products?
> 
> The technique should be analogous to terrain (contour) mapping using
> aerial remote sensing. or contour mapping of the oceans using sonar
> depth sounding.
> 
> What I am looking for is a technique by which one can point a scanning
> device at an object; the device should scan the surface of the object
> and generate a contour map in a computer. The accuracies should be of
> the order of 0.1 mm or better.

:-) You can always use a Scanning Tunnelling Microsocope if you get
really desperate. But perhaps 1-atom accuracy is a little *too*
accurate for your purposes. Would be nice, though, for chemists to be
able to scan in their own terrain. :-) Anyone linked an STM up to VR
gear yet?  (I know about the molecular docking but I'm thinking more
of a `nanocopier': scan in your favourite material and then walk over
its surface, avoiding protruding atoms ...) A few guys here built
their own home-brew STM for about $1000 a few years ago, but I think
it's been pulled apart again.
 
John

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John P. Costella              School of Physics, The University of Melbourne
jpc@tauon.ph.unimelb.edu.au         Tel: +61 3 543-7795, Fax: +61 3 347-4783
----------------------------------------------------------------------------