digital inclusion

GelSight is a novel device that can be used as a 2.5D “scanner” for acquiring surface texture and shape. It consists of a slab of clear elastomer covered with a reflective skin. When an object presses on the skin, the skin distorts to take on the shape of the object’s surface. When viewed from behind (through the elastomer slab), the skin appears as a relief replica of the surface. The surface geometry of the object can then be estimated using photometric stereo techniques. There is no problem dealing with transparent or specular materials because the skin supplies its own BRDF.