Application of Region Growing Algorithm in Hartmann Wavefront Reconstruction
Research Article  ·  Published: 15 August 2026
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Optical Wireless Communication
Volume 1, Issue 1, 2026: 44-59
Research Article Open Access

Application of Region Growing Algorithm in Hartmann Wavefront Reconstruction

1 School of Automation and Information Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, China
2 Xianyang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Technology, Xianyang 712000, China
* Corresponding Author: Xizheng Ke, [email protected]
Volume 1, Issue 1

Article Information

Pages 44-59

Abstract

The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor measures wavefront slopes by analyzing the displacement of focal spots formed by a microlens array. Based on these slope measurements, wavefront reconstruction can be achieved by solving the difference equations that relate slope to phase. A wavefront reconstruction algorithm based on the region-growing method is proposed. Numerical simulations are conducted to compare its performance with the Southwell method for reconstructing various simulated wavefronts. The noise resistance of the algorithms was analyzed by introducing additive white Gaussian noise, and experimental results further validated the effectiveness of the proposed method. The findings indicate that the region-growing-based reconstruction algorithm achieves a lower Root-Mean-Square (RMS) error value compared to the Southwell method, with a computational time reduced to less than 2% of that required by the Southwell method. Moreover, under high-noise conditions, the proposed algorithm maintains superior accuracy and demonstrates strong robustness. It efficiently processes wavefront slope data, providing both theoretical and experimental support for enhancing wavefront reconstruction speed in adaptive optical systems.

Graphical Abstract

Application of Region Growing Algorithm in Hartmann Wavefront Reconstruction

Keywords

adaptive optics wavefront reconstruction region growing algorithm shack-hartmann wavefront sensor

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Funding

This work was supported by the Key Industrial Innovation Chain Project of Shaanxi Province under Grant 2017ZDCXL-GY-06-01 and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant 61377080.

Conflicts of Interest

Xizheng Ke served as an Editor-in-Chief of the Optical Wireless Communication at the time of manuscript submission. To ensure the integrity of the peer-review process, Xizheng Ke was not involved in the editorial handling, peer review, or decision-making process for this manuscript, which was handled independently by another editor. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest.

AI Use Statement

The authors declare that no generative AI was used in the preparation of this manuscript.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

Not applicable.

References

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Cite This Article

APA Style
Li, X., Liang, J., & Ke, X. (2026). Application of Region Growing Algorithm in Hartmann Wavefront Reconstruction. Optical Wireless Communication, 1(1), 44-59. https://doi.org/10.62762/OWC.2026.960227
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TY  - JOUR
AU  - Li, Xiwen
AU  - Liang, Jingyuan
AU  - Ke, Xizheng
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/15
TI  - Application of Region Growing Algorithm in Hartmann Wavefront Reconstruction
JO  - Optical Wireless Communication
T2  - Optical Wireless Communication
JF  - Optical Wireless Communication
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
SP  - 44
EP  - 59
DO  - 10.62762/OWC.2026.960227
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/OWC.2026.960227
KW  - adaptive optics
KW  - wavefront reconstruction
KW  - region growing algorithm
KW  - shack-hartmann wavefront sensor
AB  - The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor measures wavefront slopes by analyzing the displacement of focal spots formed by a microlens array. Based on these slope measurements, wavefront reconstruction can be achieved by solving the difference equations that relate slope to phase. A wavefront reconstruction algorithm based on the region-growing method is proposed. Numerical simulations are conducted to compare its performance with the Southwell method for reconstructing various simulated wavefronts. The noise resistance of the algorithms was analyzed by introducing additive white Gaussian noise, and experimental results further validated the effectiveness of the proposed method. The findings indicate that the region-growing-based reconstruction algorithm achieves a lower Root-Mean-Square (RMS) error value compared to the Southwell method, with a computational time reduced to less than 2% of that required by the Southwell method. Moreover, under high-noise conditions, the proposed algorithm maintains superior accuracy and demonstrates strong robustness. It efficiently processes wavefront slope data, providing both theoretical and experimental support for enhancing wavefront reconstruction speed in adaptive optical systems.
SN  - 5 Articles Required
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  - 
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@article{Li2026Applicatio,
  author = {Xiwen Li and Jingyuan Liang and Xizheng Ke},
  title = {Application of Region Growing Algorithm in Hartmann Wavefront Reconstruction},
  journal = {Optical Wireless Communication},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {1},
  number = {1},
  pages = {44-59},
  doi = {10.62762/OWC.2026.960227},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/OWC.2026.960227},
  abstract = {The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor measures wavefront slopes by analyzing the displacement of focal spots formed by a microlens array. Based on these slope measurements, wavefront reconstruction can be achieved by solving the difference equations that relate slope to phase. A wavefront reconstruction algorithm based on the region-growing method is proposed. Numerical simulations are conducted to compare its performance with the Southwell method for reconstructing various simulated wavefronts. The noise resistance of the algorithms was analyzed by introducing additive white Gaussian noise, and experimental results further validated the effectiveness of the proposed method. The findings indicate that the region-growing-based reconstruction algorithm achieves a lower Root-Mean-Square (RMS) error value compared to the Southwell method, with a computational time reduced to less than 2\% of that required by the Southwell method. Moreover, under high-noise conditions, the proposed algorithm maintains superior accuracy and demonstrates strong robustness. It efficiently processes wavefront slope data, providing both theoretical and experimental support for enhancing wavefront reconstruction speed in adaptive optical systems.},
  keywords = {adaptive optics, wavefront reconstruction, region growing algorithm, shack-hartmann wavefront sensor},
  issn = {5 Articles Required},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}

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CC BY Copyright © 2026 by the Author(s). Published by Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.
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