Phase unwrapping has been and still is a cumbersome concern that involves the resolution of several different problems. When dealing with two-dimensional phase unwrapping in fringe analysis, the final objective is, in many cases, the realization of that analysis in real time. Many algorithms have been developed to carry out the unwrapping process, with some giving satisfactory results even when high levels of noise are present in the image. However, these algorithms are often time consuming and far removed from the goal of real-time fringe analysis. A new approach to the construction of a simple and fast algorithm for two-dimensional unwrapping that has considerable potential for parallel implementation is presented.