A Technique for Building a Geometric Model of Leaf Based on 3-D Image Processing

摘要

Non-destructive and non-contact measurements for plant is effective for catching a precise physiological status of a whole plant. In this study, a simulation model which calculates the total leaf area for a branch of tomato from the top leaf area and a geometric model which allows the measurement of the top leaf area were built using a 3-D image processing system in order to realize non-destructive and non-contact measurements of the leaf area of plants. Two methods (I and II) were tested for the simulation model. The method I calculates the total leaf area for a branch of tomato from the top leaf area, and the method II calculates the total leaf area from the lengths of both the branch and the top leaf. As the result, the estimated value calculated from the method I was closely related to the observed value, comparing to the case of the method II. Next, the 3-D geometric model was built from images that photographed the leaf from three directions using a digital camera. This model allowed a non-contact measurement of the leaf area. Thus, the noncontact measurement of the total leaf area for a branch of tomato became possible by using these two models.