Spatial carrier-fringe pattern analysis by means of wavelet transform: wavelet transform profilometry.

We present an analysis of a spatial carrier-fringe pattern in three-dimensional (3-D) shape measurement by using the wavelet transform, a tool excelling for its multiresolution in the time- and space-frequency domains. To overcome the limitation of the Fourier transform, we introduce the Gabor wavelet to analyze the phase distributions of the spatial carrier-fringe pattern. The theory of wavelet transform profilometry, an accuracy check by means of a simulation, and an example of 3-D shape measurement are shown.