3D SCANNER USING STRUCTURED LIGHTING

A series of structured lighting patterns are projected on an object. Each successive structured lighting pattern has a first and second subset of intensity features such as edges between light and dark areas. The intensity features of the first set coincide spatially with intensity features from either the first or second subset from a preceding structured lighting pattern in the series. Image positions are detected where the intensity features of the first and second subset of the structured lighting patterns are visible in the images. Image positions where the intensity features of the first subset are visible are associated with the intensity features of the first subset, based on the associated intensity features of closest detected image positions with associated intensity features in the image obtained with a preceding structured lighting pattern in said series. Image positions where the intensity features of the second subset are visible, between pairs of the image positions associated with intensity features of the first subset, with intensity features of the second subset between the intensity features associated with the pair of positions. The associated intensity features in a final structured lighting pattern of the series are used to identify the intensity features of the final structured lighting pattern for the determination of 3D surface position information.