초록 ▼

A three-dimensional measuring system particularly for dental and other space-limited uses has a laser diode projecting a triangulating beam at a surface to be mapped, with the beam scanned repeatedly across the surface. Photodetectors detect the position of the beam as reflected from the mapped surf

A three-dimensional measuring system particularly for dental and other space-limited uses has a laser diode projecting a triangulating beam at a surface to be mapped, with the beam scanned repeatedly across the surface. Photodetectors detect the position of the beam as reflected from the mapped surface, giving by triangulation Z-axis or depth information. Correlation of a particular point with the position of the scanner along the scan line gives Y-axis information, or information in a width direction. The scanner and diode are mounted on a slide or platform device which moves perpendicularly to the Y axis in the direction in and out of the mouth, driven by a stepper motor, and the monitored position of the stepper motor is coordinated with the other information on each spot to yield X-axis information.

대표청구항 ▼

A system for three dimensional mapping of the topography of a small object, and for generating digitized signals indicative of the topography, for use in viewing the topography in a three dimensional representation on a screen and/or for generating a model of the topography, comprising, a probe hous

A system for three dimensional mapping of the topography of a small object, and for generating digitized signals indicative of the topography, for use in viewing the topography in a three dimensional representation on a screen and/or for generating a model of the topography, comprising, a probe housing for placement adjacent to the small object or objects to be surveyed, slidable sled means mounted in the housing so as to slide in and out longitudinally on the housing in an X-axis direction, first motor means for advancing the sled means along the X-axis direction, first position means associated with the motor means and the sled means, for recording the position of the sled means, to produce X-axis readings at surveyed points, beam scanning means on the sled means, for repeatedly scanning a focused beam of light across the surfaces of the small objects, by swinging the beam from a rotational point of origin, second motor means associated with the beam scanning means, for causing the beam to be scanned, second position means associated with the second motor means, for encoding the position of the beam scan and generating a signal in accordance therewith, for each point surveyed, representing Y-axis positional information, perpendicular to the X axis, and triangulation light sensor means on the sled means, mounted off-axis with respect to the light beam, for detecting the depth of a surveyed point away from the sled means, and third position means for encoding the depth and for generating a signal in accordance therewith, representing Z-axis or depth information, whereby a series of points on the small object are surveyed, with each point assigned X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis information, so that the topography of the small object can be reproduced with the aid of a computer.