Unwrapping Images Of Cylindrical Objects

unwrapping-images-of-cylindrical-objects

Here’s an automated setup that lets you create flat images of cylindrical objects. The example shown above takes a creamer and lets you see what the painted pattern looks like when viewed continuously.

The image capture rig is similar to turntable photography setups that allow you to construct animated GIF files or 3D models of objects. The subject is places on a stepper motor which allows precise control when rotating the object between frames. The EiBotBoard (which we’ve seen in at least one other project) is designed for the EggBot printer. But it is used here to interface the motor and capture equipment with the Raspberry Pi.

We’re a little uncertain if the RPi actually handles the image manipulation. The project uses ImageMagick, which will certainly run on the RPi. There is a mention of the Raspberry Pi camera joing the rig as a future improvement so we do expect to see a fully-automatic revision at some point.

[via Adafruit via EMSL]

15 thoughts on “Unwrapping Images Of Cylindrical Objects

  1. “There is a mention of the Raspberry Pi camera joing the rig as a future improvement so we do expect to see a fully-automatic revision at some point.”

    Joing! Urban Dictionary, anyone?

  2. I did something very similar last year. a stepper and an arduino(yeah i know, but if i revisit it i’ll put it on a attiny) and a servo that i sat on the camera with something called greenstuff. epoxy putty really.

    its function was to make 360 gifs for displaying warhammer models. i ended up sticking to electronics and disregarding wargaming.. go figure..

    http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/noppe/pistolier2.gif
    http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/noppe/20120618_182504.jpg?t=1340038332

  3. At Nat Geo, someone did this in the 60’s for Grecian and Mayan artifacts.
    The best hack is to use a line at a time flatbed scanner and hook the motor up to the turntable. No photo stitching is needed, and very high res. People hack scanners to do 360 degree space cameras. Look it up. Again very high res, just no motion is allowed during shoot unless you want weird scenes.

  4. Don’t mention animated GIFs, 2013 and we still deal with blasted GIF files, all because several main browsers like chrome as well as the PNG group refuse to recognize animated PNG’s.. I wish someone would be able to sue them over it, I really do.

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