Speckle photography fringe analysis: assessment of current algorithms

The accuracy and reliability of four fringe analysis algorithms have been assessed, using Young's fringe patterns calculated from computer generated speckle patterns. The 1-D integration, 1-D autocorrelation, 2-D Fourier transform, and 2-D Walsh transform methods all estimated the two in-plane displacement components with negligible systematic error; the random errors were found to vary in proportion to sigma(2)/VR (speckle diameter = sigma, fringe visibility = V, and radius of laser probe beam = R), with the lowest errors given by the 2-D Fourier transform method.