Three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus and method thereof utilizing point cloud data and top view map imaging

A three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus which measures a three-dimensional shape of a measurement object, the three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus comprising:

• a stage that includes a placement surface on which a measurement object is placed, the stage rotating about a rotational axis perpendicular to the placement surface;
• an illuminator that illuminates the measurement object, which is placed on the stage, with measuring light having a predetermined pattern;
• a photoreceptor that receives the measuring light which is reflected from the measurement object illuminated by the illuminator, and provides light-reception signals representing a light reception amount;
• a mount that supports the stage;
• a fixer that is coupled to the mount, and fixes the illuminator and the photoreceptor to produce a measurement area to be illuminated with the measuring light above the stage and to incline optical axes of the illuminator and the photoreceptor with respect to the placement surface in an orientation in which the illuminator and the photoreceptor face the measurement area obliquely downward;
• a support that supports the fixer to be spaced away from the mount;
• a point cloud data generator that generates point cloud data as a set of points including three-dimensional position information representing a three-dimensional shape of the measurement object based on the light-reception signals which are provided by the photoreceptor;
• a top view map image generator that generates a top view map image representing a plan view of the measurement object placed on the stage, from the point cloud data generated by the point cloud data generator, by mapping the point cloud data onto a plan as viewed downward from a position right above the measurement object;
• and
• a display that displays the top view map image generated by the top view map image generator and a line corresponding to the outer edge of the stage, such that a relative positional relationship between the stage and the measurement object is visually recognized as viewed downward from a position right above the measurement object.