Iranian Journal of  Manufacturing Engineering

Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering

Study of lighting effects on 3D optical scanning with laser targets

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
2 Department of Computer Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
10.22034/ijme.2026.566353.2157
Abstract
In a type of a 3D optical stereo scanner, light patterns are projected onto the surface of the object and two cameras capture images of these patterns. By analyzing light patterns, accurate 3D information can be obtained from the surface of the object. This study investigates the effect of lighting on the performance indicators of a structured light stereo scanning system consisting of an optical array with forty-line laser sources. To effectively control the lighting of the scanning environment, a photography light-box was used around the work piece. To evaluate the performance of the system, sampling from spherical artifacts was performed inside and outside the light-box, and the results indicated a reduction in the form error and standard deviation. Also, by conducting measurements on a cylindrical artifact inside the light-box, the indices of accuracy, laboratory bias, repeatability, and reproducibility were calculated and compared with similar results from previous studies in conditions without a Light-box. The intermediate precision standard deviation of the system accuracy is estimated to be 29µm, the maximum bias is 55µm, and the maximum standard deviation of repeatability and reproducibility is estimated to be 44 and 165µm, respectively. The results showed an improvement in the aforementioned indicators measured inside the light-box compared to data taken outside and previous research in a laboratory environment. In addition to improving the quality of measurement indicators, using a light-box can help facilitate and speed up scanning in the measurement room by stabilizing the lighting and eliminating the need for recalibrations.
Keywords

[1] Khoiruddin AA. Linear Profilometry: A low cost 3D acquisition system. IEEE/SICE International Symposium on  System Integration (SII); 2015 December 11-13; Nagoya, Japan. IEEE; p. 783-788. doi: 10.1109/SII.2015.7405079
[2] Zhu Z, Wang Y, Huang C, Xu J, Zhou X. Three-dimensional reconstruction with separation of strong ambient light and depolarization error correction. Optics & Laser Technology. 2026 Jan 1;193:114246. doi: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2025.114246
[3] Liang J, Ye Y, Gu F, Zhang J, Zhao J, Song Z. A polarized structured light method for the 3D measurement of high-reflective surfaces. InPhotonics 2023 Jun 19 (Vol. 10, No. 6, p. 695). MDPI. doi: 10.3390/photonics10060695
[4] Shi W, Quan H, Kong L. Adaptive specular reflection removal in light field microscopy using multi-polarization hybrid illumination and deep learning. Optics and Lasers in Engineering. 2025 Mar 1;186:108839. doi: 10.1016/j.optlaseng.2025.108839
[5] Feng L, Kang J, Yuan L, Li H, Chen Y, Zhang Z, Sun Z, Liang J, Wu B. 3D shape measurement method for multi-reflective scenes based on accurate pixel-by-pixel phase-error adjustment strategy. Optics & Laser Technology. 2024 Jul 1;174:110661. doi: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2024.110661
[6] Zhang R, Duan M, Fan X, Zheng Y, Sun Z, Zheng J, Jin Y. Deep learning-enabled anti-ambient light approach for fringe projection profilometry. Optics Express. 2022 Dec 14;30(26):47672-89. doi: 10.1364/OE.477747
[7] Blanco D, Fernández P, Valiño G, Rico JC, Rodríguez A. Influence of ambient light on the repeatability of laser triangulation digitized point clouds when scanning EN AW 6082 flat faced features. InAIP Conference Proceedings 2009 Nov 23 (Vol. 1181, No. 1, pp. 509-520). American Institute of Physics. doi: 10.1063/1.3273669
[8] Thongma-Eng P, Amornvit P, Silthampitag P, Rokaya D, Pisitanusorn A. Effect of Ambient Lights on the Accuracy of a 3‐Dimensional Optical Scanner for Face Scans: An In Vitro Study. Journal of Healthcare Engineering. 2022;2022(1):2637078. doi: 10.1155/2022/2637078
[9] Arakida T, Kanazawa M, Iwaki M, Suzuki T, Minakuchi S. Evaluating the influence of ambient light on scanning trueness, precision, and time of intra oral scanner. Journal of prosthodontic research. 2018;62(3):324-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpor.2017.12.005
[10] Rachakonda P, Muralikrishnan B, Sawyer D. Sources of errors in structured light 3D scanners. InDimensional optical metrology and inspection for practical applications viii 2019 May 13 (Vol. 10991, pp. 25-37). SPIE.
[11] Gupta M, Yin Q, Nayar SK. Structured light in sunlight. InProceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision 2013 (pp. 545-552).
[12] Voisin S, Foufou S, Truchetet F, Page D, Abidi M. Study of ambient light influence for three-dimensional scanners based on structured light. Optical Engineering. 2007 Mar 29;46(3):030502-. doi: 10.1117/1.2717126
[13] Ansari M, Amirian G, Emam SM, Hemmati SJ. Design and build an active stereo scanner and validation of results from a metrological viewpoint. Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering. 2019 May 22;6(2):20-9. [In Persian]
[14] VDI/VDE 2634 Blatt 3:2008-12. Optical 3D-measuring systems - Multiple view systems based on area scanning. Germany: Verein Deutscher Ingenieure/ Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik; 2008.
[15] ISO 5725-2:2019. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results — Part 2: Basic method for the determination of repeatability and reproducibility of a standard measurement method. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization; 2019.
[16] Hasinoff SW. Saturation (imaging). In: Ikeuchi K, editor. Computer Vision: A Reference Guide. Cham: Springer; 2021. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-63416-2_483
[17] ISO 5725-4:2020. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results — Part 4: Basic methods for the determination of the trueness of a standard measurement method. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization; 2020.

[18] ISO 5725-3:2023. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results — Part 3: Intermediate precision and alternative designs for collaborative studies. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization; 2023.

[19] Mokar Nasiraei A. Performance evaluation of a 3D scanning system with multiple line laser targets [master's thesis]. Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran: University of Hormozgan; 2022. [In Persian]
[20] Kaighobadi M. Evaluation of measurement indices for a structuralized light stereo-scanner [master's thesis]. Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran: University of Hormozgan; 2020. [In Persian]