Dense depth map acquisition by hierarchic structured light

Structured light systems (SLS) have been used in 3D model building for a long time. However, the comprehensive performance of such systems, in terms of data acquisition speed and depth density, is still far from being perfect. In this paper, we introduce a new pattern design for SLS in order to get a dense depth map while in principle maintaining the acquisition speed, high reliability and accuracy. Our system uses a hierarchical integration of features and textures in the projection pattern. This hierarchy is then used to guide the matching process. The effectiveness of the method has been demonstrated by extensive experiments.