OPTIONAL 3D DIGITIZER, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIGITIZING AN OBJECT

An optical 3D digitizer for digitizing an object, comprises a white light source producing white light, a projection lens projecting the white light toward the object whereby the object has a fully illuminated side, a grating device producing a fringe pattern in the light projected by the projection lens, and first and second cameras positioned aside from the projection lens and aligned in angled directions with respect to each other so that the cameras have complementary fields of view directed on the illuminated side of the object and partially overlapping with each other over a depth of measurement of the object. The cameras have respective video outputs to produce video signals representing complementary images of the object with a common image portion as a result of the fields of view being partially overlapping.