MSPA-MCS: 3D Fluid Surface Reconstruction Using A Multi-Camera System

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

Modeling and reconstructing time-varying 3D fluid surfaces is a challenging problem. First, accurately measuring 3D fluid surfaces is difficult because their features can be highly varying in space and time, and the measuring device should not be intrusive to the fluid. Second, the evolution of fluid surfaces is governed by complex physical mechanisms that need to be incorporated into the reconstruction methods. In this research, the PIs propose a novel approach for accurately reconstructing 3D fluid surfaces from sampled data. This project consists of two key components: a fluid surface acquisition method and a fluid surface reconstruction method. For data acquisition, the PIs propose to design a novel experimental system using a light field camera array that can simultaneously capture different views of a fluid surface. A known pattern is placed beneath the surface and each camera observes a distinct time-varying distortion pattern. A sampled fluid surface can then be measured by analyzing these distortions. For surface reconstruction, the PIs propose to develop an iterative optimization algorithm which minimizes the error relative to the sampled data and finds the reconstructed surface by solving the full Euler equations for 3D free-surface flows. Solutions of these equations are computed by using an efficient numerical method. The results of this research have many applications in Fluid Mechanics as well as in Computer Graphics and Vision, such as the validation of existing fluid models and the integration of reconstructed fluid surfaces into animations and film footage to reproduce realistic phenomena. This interdisciplinary project will promote the training of graduate students on mathematical modeling, laboratory experiments, and computer simulations. The PIs will also develop courses and seminars for both undergraduate and graduate students interested in these topics.