Method and apparatus for the Three-Dimensional Digitization of objects

• US 20090080766A1
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Daxauer, Herbert, Mayer, Thomas, Steinbichler, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2545 with one projection direction and several detection directions, e.g. stereo

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the three-dimensional digitization of objects with a 3D sensor, which comprises a projector and one or more cameras, in which a pattern is projected onto the object by means of the projector, and the pattern is detected with the one or more cameras. In accordance with the invention, the method and the apparatus are characterized in that at least three reference marks and/or a reference raster are projected onto the object with the 3D sensor and are detected with two or more external, calibrated digital cameras.

Claims

1. A method for the three-dimensional digitization of objects (2) with a 3D sensor (10), which comprises a projector and one or more cameras, in which a pattern is projected onto the object (2) by the projector and the pattern is detected with the one or more cameras, wherein with the 3D sensor (10) at least three reference marks (14) and/or a reference raster are projected onto the object (2), and the reference marks (14) or raster are detected with-two or more external, calibrated digital cameras (12).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external, calibrated digital cameras simultaneously detect the reference marks or the reference raster.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the projection of the reference marks or raster is effected with an imaging element in the projector of the 3D sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement accuracy is optimized by varying the projection of the reference marks or raster in terms of brightness and/or shape.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the projection of the reference marks or the reference raster is effected in regions as flat as possible of the object to be digitized.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising the following steps:

measuring local object data with the 3D sensor,

selecting object regions as flat as possible and vertical to the optical axis of the projector from the local object data, and

projecting the reference marks or the reference raster onto the selected object regions.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the reference marks or raster is corrected upon measuring the local object data such that the projected reference marks or raster on the object correspond to a desired shape as largely as possible.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the projected reference marks or raster is adapted to the resolution of external cameras and/or the one or more camera of the 3D sensor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference marks or raster are modulated in terms of brightness, and the detection of the reference marks or raster is effected by an image sequence of the external cameras.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference marks or raster are projected with an identification code, which preferably is modulated on by spatial and/or time modulation of the brightness and/or time modulation of the shape of the reference marks or raster.

19. The method according to claim 2, wherein the projection of the reference marks or raster is effected with an imaging element in the projector of the 3D sensor.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the measurement accuracy is optimized by varying the projection of the reference marks or raster in terms of brightness and/or shape.

11. An apparatus (1) for the three-dimensional digitization of objects (2) with a 3D sensor (10), which comprises a projector and one or more cameras, wherein

a pattern can be projected onto the object (2) by the projector,

the pattern can be detected with the one or more cameras,

at least three reference marks (14) and/or a reference raster can be projected onto the object (2) with the 3D sensor (10), and two or more external, calibrated digital cameras (12) are present, with which the reference marks or raster can be detected.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the projector of the 3D sensor comprises an imaging element for projection of the reference marks or raster.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the 3D sensor is configured such that the brightness and/or color and/or shape of the projected reference marks or raster can be varied.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the 3D sensor is configured such that the reference marks and/or raster can be projected with an identification code.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the 3D sensor is configured such that the reference marks and/or raster can be projected with an identification code.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the 3D sensor is configured such that the reference marks and/or raster can be projected with an identification code.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the 3D sensor is configured such that the brightness and/or color and/or shape of the projected reference marks or of the projected reference raster can be varied.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the 3D sensor is configured such that the reference marks and/or raster can be projected with an identification code.