Anisotropic subsurface scattering acquisition through a light field based apparatus

Subsurface scattering gives a distinct look to many everyday objects. However, until now, systems to acquire subsurface scattering have assumed that the subsurface displacement and angle of scattering are completely independent of the angle of incident. While this independence substantially simplifies the acquisition and rendering of materials where it holds true, it makes the acquisition of other materials impossible. In this paper, we demonstrate a system that can quickly acquire the full anisotropic subsurface scattering at a given point. Unlike many existing commercial acquisition systems, our system can be assembled from off-the-shelf optical component and 3D printed/cut parts, making it accessible at a low price. We validate our device by measuring and fitting a dipole model for material exhibiting isotropic subsurface scattering as well as comparing real-world appearance with rendering of anisotropic material under incident laser beam illumination.