Image-Based Measurement of Structural Color using Spectral Camera

Abstract

We perceive structural colors by optical phenomena such as light interference and diffraction caused by a fine structure of the object surface. One of the characteristics of structural colors is that a wavelength distribution of light changes depending on an incident angle of a light source and a viewing angle. Generally, for color evaluation and reproduction, it is required to acquire reflection characteristics of objects. Therefore, BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) is often used as a function that represents reflection characteristics depending on incident and viewing angles. In this study, we measured BRDF of structural colors based on a method to acquire image-based material reflection characteristics using a spectral camera. The measurement was performed by aligning an optical axis of a spectral camera with a structural color sample and changing an irradiation angle of a light source. Reflection characteristics were represented by using a radiance factor, which was a ratio between a spectral radiance of white material and that of structural color. From measurement results, we confirmed an angle-dependent radiance factor. Finally, based on a measured spectral radiance of a structural color sample, we spectrally reproduced the structural color using a spectral projector based on model fitting of spectral data.