Gernot Hoffmann	6   Geometry Scanner
Cover Page Title Page Dancing Marionette Learning Marionette Image Processing Computer Graphics Geometry Scanner Photo Equipment Machines and Tools Electronics Info + Help + Print Links Documents	A Geometry Scanner is used to generate wireframe models from real objects. Some objects like faces cannot be modelled comfortably on computers. Perhaps it is better to leave the modelling to an artist, scan the face and use the data for graphics. Many methods for scanning are practised. By digital photos from different directions and application of photogrammetry, one gets a set of surface points. The points must be interpolated and assembled to a consistent wireframe model: each knot must be used once in a sequence and the net should have no gaps. This registration is still an object of research worldwide. But our method is rather simple and far from universal: The head can be rotated and shifted in vertical direction. A laser range meter measures the distance. We determine primarily cylinder coordinates, then body fixed cartesian. One crucial point is the accuracy of the triangulation range meter, the other the limitation to objects of some class of convexity.   Nevertheless - we can scan heads and faces, but they should probably not be fixed to a body.
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