Image processing system and image acquisition method

An image processing system comprising:

• an illumination unit;
• an illumination control unit configured to adjust light emitted from the illumination unit so as to illuminate a limited area in a space;
• a first image capturing unit configured to capture a first image of an imaging area including the limited area or part of the limited area, the first image being formed by reflected light of the light emitted from the illumination unit and taken from a position different from a position of the illumination unit;
• a second image capturing unit configured to capture a second image which is a natural image of the imaging area and is taken from the position of the first image;
• an area of interest setting unit configured to set an area of interest in one of the first image and the second image;
• and
• an image processing unit configured to extract an image inside the area of interest from the first image, use the extracted image as a mask, and extract the mask from the second image.

An image acquisition method for an image processing system including an illumination unit and an illumination control unit configured to adjust light emitted from the illumination unit so as to illuminate a limited area in a space, the method comprising:

• capturing a first image of an imaging area including the limited area or part of the limited area, the first image being formed by reflected light of the light emitted from the illumination unit and taken from a position different from a position of the illumination unit;
• capturing a second image which is a natural image of the imaging area and is taken from the position of the first image;
• setting an area of interest in one of the first image and the second image;
• and
• extracting an image inside the area of interest from the first image, using the extracted image as a mask, and extracting the area of the mask from the second image.