This book brings together novel concepts in machine vision, computer graphics, and three-dimensional modelling, in solving real practical inspection problems. Automated inspection of three-dimensional shape and the analysis of both two- and three-dimensional surface defects and texture patterns, represents one of the most challenging and rapidly developing applications for machine vision today.

This is the first book to include a comprehensive review of existing techniques for defect detection. It goes on to develop a new approach to the problem of shape analysis, surface inspection, and texture classification. A simple, low-cost demonstrator system is described. Using a fixed camera and fixed computer-controlled illumination system, this innovative approach offers potential for new applications, considered to be beyond the capabilities of existing inspection techniques. A thorough treatment of underlying theory is given, including sufficient detail to allow application to real inspection tasks. Numerous example applications are discussed across several industrial sectors.