High-Precision Laser Scanning System for Three-Dimensional Modeling of Saffron Flower

Abstract

Because plants have nonrigid parts in various and complicated shapes and high level of variability in their shapes, they have remained one of the most difficult objects to model. Saffron is the most expensive agricultural crop and spice in the world. There is very few information about the geometric properties of saffron flower and its parts in academic resources. Because of the very low thickness of the parts of saffron flower such as petals, the extracted point clouds interfere. In this article, using reverse engineering, three-dimensional (3D) data of saffron flower are extracted by employing laser scanning technology. After data pre-processing and processing, the 3D model of saffron flower was developed for the first time. A novel algorithm was proposed to address the problem of interference in point cloud and to separate point cloud of the top surface and the bottom surface of the petal. Practical Applications There is very few information about the geometric properties of saffron flower and its parts in academic resources. Owing to the lack of a virtual model of saffron flower, it is difficult to analyze and design a postharvesting mechanism. By generation of a three-dimensional geometrical model of the flower, not only the geometric parameters of flower are obtained but also a more accurate mechanical study of the object such as aerodynamic study becomes possible. The mechanical behavior of saffron flower is important in the design and analysis of postharvesting mechanisms. In this research, a novel algorithm was developed capable of avoiding interference of point clouds belonging to different surfaces with very close distance to each other, i.e., thin objects. This algorithm was named “projected homogeneous neighbors.” Laser scanning technology with the current precision may well be useful, appropriate and practical technology for precise modeling as well as the description of details and existing issues in biology and agriculture products such as saffron flower.