Scanning system and calibration method for capturing precise three-dimensional information of objects

A method of obtaining three-dimensional surface information of an object, comprising the steps of:

• positioning a scanner proximate to said object, said scanner having a projection system for projecting a pattern onto said object and an electronic imaging device generating two dimensional images of the reflection of said pattern off of said surface;
• moving said scanner and object relative to each other;
• capturing, with said electronic imaging device, a series of two dimensional images of said projection pattern after reflection of said pattern off of said object as said scanner and said surface move relative to each other;
• processing said series of images to obtain a series of frames of said object, each frame comprising spatial coordinates for a portion of the surface of said object in three dimensions, and
• registration overlapping areas of said frames to each other to generate a three-dimensional virtual model of said object.

A method of calibration of a scanner, said scanner comprising a projection system for projecting a pattern and an electronic imaging device for generating an image of said pattern after reflection of said pattern from an object, comprising the steps of:

• projecting said pattern onto at least one surface at two different distances from said scanner and generating first and second images with said electronic imaging device of said pattern at said two distances;
• imaging a set of objects of known spatial X-Y relationship at said two different differences;
• generating a three-axis (X, Y and Z) coordinate system calibration relationship for said scanner, said calibration relationship indicating:
• (1) pixel coordinates for numerous portions of said pattern when said pattern is projected onto said surface at said two different distances, and (2) distance information in X and Y directions for said portions of said pattern for said two different distances;
• and
• storing said calibration relationship in a memory associated with said scanner.

A machine-readable memory accessible by a computing device, said memory comprising data storage regions storing surface information in three dimensions of at least a portion of a work of art, said surface information obtained by scanning said work of art with a scanner and calculating said surface information in three dimensions from a series of images obtained by said scanner;

• wherein said scanner comprises a projection system for projecting a pattern and an electronic imaging device for generating an image of said pattern after reflection of said pattern from an object, and wherein said scanner is calibrated using a method comprising the steps of:
• projecting said pattern onto at least one surface at two different distances from said scanner and generating first and second images with said electronic imaging device of said pattern at said two distances;
• imaging a set of objects of known spatial X-Y relationship at said two different differences;
• generating a three-axis (X, Y and Z) coordinate system calibration relationship for said scanner, said calibration relationship indicating:
• (1) pixel coordinates for numerous portions of said pattern when said pattern is projected onto said surface at said two different distances, and (2) distance information in X and Y directions for said portions of said pattern for said two different distances;
• and
• storing said calibration relationship in a memory associated with said scanner.