Acquisition of optically complex objects and phenomena

Standard range-scanning techniques work well for approximately Lambertian reflectors, but large classes of objects can currently not be scanned robustly. Specular and refractive objects pose challenges to range scanning because the surface cannot be observed directly. Translucent objects exhibit significant effects of global light transport, while volumetric phenomena like fire, smoke, and plasma effects do not have a proper surface. Recent research has led to the development of feasible and surprisingly accurate scanning approaches for these types of objects. This course introduces the major theoretical findings, practical setups, and experimental results for digitization of optically complex objects and phenomena.