title: Proposed algorithm for phase unwrapping.
abstract: A new, to our knowledge, two-dimensional phase-unwrapping algorithm is proposed. The algorithm, which is based on the global continuity of physical information (e.g. the three-dimensional surface profile of an object) being measured, uses the principle of least-phase difference to rectify errors caused by an erroneous 2pi-phase jump in the initial unwrapped phase map obtained by the conventional phase-unwrapping method. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm works well on a phase map that contains error sources, such as noises, phase discontinuity of more than pi, and insufficient sampling. Moreover, the algorithm is most suitable for unwrapping a phase map generated during shape measurement with a step-change surface on the test object, which is usually a critical problem in shape measurement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Mechanics, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Street, Nanjing 210096, China.
authors.forename: Xiao Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Cho Jui
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Chenggen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Huai Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Shang