Pros and cons of different camera light colors

What are the advantages, disadvantages, and use cases for white light, blue light, and laser?

White light of DLP projector

Main features: High light intensity and energy, suitable for long distances and high-speed scenarios. Generally used in conjunction with a color monocular camera, no need for additional color camera configuration.
Appropriate scenarios: Workpieces of any color can reflect the corresponding wavelength of light.

Blue light of DLP projector

Main features: The shorter the wavelength, the stronger the scattering. Blue light is copmparatively sensitive to subtle surface structures, such as when observing the surface of metals. It’s suitable for detecting areas where the contrast is not very obvious.
Appropriate scenarios: Under blue light, colors like white, purple, and blue objects appear brighter and effectively reflect blue light. The camera’s capture of structured light will have a higher contrast.

Laser

Main features: Compared to regular light sources, it has better monochromaticity and directionality, and higher brightness.
Appropriate scenarios: It performs excellently in environments with strong ambient light.

Do some object colors absorb light?

When we see an object as a certain color, it is actually because the object absorbs all other colors of light and only reflects the color of light we see.

For example, if an object appears blue, it is because it absorbs all other colors of light (such as green and red) and only reflects the blue light.

Similarly, an object appears white because it reflects light of all colors, and an object appears black because it absorbs light of all colors.

Will the color of the light source affect the quality of the point cloud?

The color of the light source may have a slight impact on the quality of the point cloud from a 3D camera, but it’s usually not very noticeable.

First, it should be clarified: the color of the light source refers to the color of the light emitted by the source."

When using a 3D camera for scanning, the quality and direction of the light source may have a slight impact on the results.

If there is a significant difference in the color of the light source, it may have a slight impact on point cloud imaging; if the direction of the light is unstable, it might lead to noise and other deviations in the point cloud.

In summary, the color of the light source might have a slight impact on the quality of the 3D camera’s point cloud, and its effect is usually not very noticeable.