In-plane polarimetric light scattering imaging of wooden surfaces

The in-plane polarimetric light scattering imaging for the wood surfaces is presented. We assembled a polarized light scattering imaging system that is capable of capturing polarimetric images. The backscattering from the wood surfaces is measured by using the in-plane polarized illumination at wavelengths 405, 532 and 671 nm. The polarimetric images are generated for each detecting angle and found to be capable of inspecting grain orientation of the wood surfaces. The strong angular dependence of the polarimetric imaging has a potential utilization for distinguishing wood textures. The wood materials have been chosen as an example with excellent imaging results. The capability of the polarimetric imaging can be used to rapidly observe varied materials for real-Time automated optical inspection.