3D stereo imaging of abnormal waves in a wave basin

This paper proposes a new method to measure the wave surface elevation in a wave basin. The Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) method is employed in the 3D reconstruction of the free surface marked by an array of floats attached to a flexible net. The method is coined the Marker-Net method (MNM). Experiments were conducted in a large basin to validate the proposed method. Regular wave records are compared against wave wire measurements to quantify the accuracy of the estimation based on the MNM. To demonstrate the advantage of the MNM over conventional techniques used in the tank, a set of experiments based on analytical solutions of the 2D+T nonlinear Schrodinger equations were conducted. The MNM reconstruction of the free surface revealed propagation of an oblique structure, which is difficult to visualize otherwise.