Fringe pattern correlator for three-dimensional object recognition

We propose a novel three-dimensional (3-D) object-recognition method based on a Fourier-transform profilometry technique and a two-dimensional (2-D) correlation technique. Height information on 3-D objects is transformed to phase information on 2-D complex amplitude by use of the Fourier-transform profilometry technique. 3-D objects are recognized using correlation by use of the transformed complex amplitude.