Coherent two-beam interference fringe projection for highspeed three-dimensional shape measurements.

Two-beam interference is a fundamental and well-understood approach to create Fizeau's interference fringes. With a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we utilize these two-beam interference Fizeau fringes for three-dimensional (3D) shape measurements. By introducing an acousto-optical deflector the phase of the interference fringes can be shifted with a rate of up to 200,000 Hz. When used in conjunction with highspeed cameras, this stereo-photogrammetric approach performs well for highspeed applications in comparison with the commonly used digital light processing projectors for stripe projection. Maximum speed and the achievable accuracy are discussed. Experiments and media substantiate the suitability, accuracy, and speed of this technique for very fast 3D shape measurements.