Shadow2Profile - an Image to Roughness Estimation software

Estimating Surface Roughness from a Single Image

Measuring surface roughness is vital in fields from manufacturing to planetary science, yet traditional methods—profilometers, laser scanners—are costly and limited in scope. My 2025 Measurement paper presents a simple, computational technique that uses just one digital image of a surface illuminated at a known angle. The method analyzes shadow patterns cast by microscopic “hills” onto “valleys” and compares them with computer-generated profiles until the best match is found. From this, key roughness parameters—average height deviation (Ra) and average slope angle—are calculated. The technique works for a wide range of scales, from microscopic samples to landscapes, and requires minimal equipment. Open-source software, Shadow2Profile, was developed for Windows and Linux, enabling anyone to apply this approach to their own images. This innovation could benefit remote sensing missions, material testing, and any scenario where conventional roughness measurement tools are impractical.