Three-Dimensional Surface Modeling using Intelligent Database Techniques

Range image acquisition can be defined as the process of determining the physical distance from a given observation point to all points of consideration in a three-dimensional (3D) surface object. The technology of range finders has been used for many years in military and airborne remote sensing survey applications. This paper suggests the use of computer databases (instead of mathematical formulas) for modeling 3D surfaces. The basic concept is the proper selection of representative samples from the measured range values to be records in the model database. The main contribution in this paper is developing an Intelligent Database Management System (IDMS) used for selecting samples and giving depth prediction at a given space point. The IDMS performs standard database operations such as adding, updating and deleting records in order to minimize the data storage memory size and prediction error. Search for specific data which are not previously stored in the database is impossible in classical database management systems (DMS).