3D imaging system

• US 20100098328A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macdonald Dettwiler and Associates Limited
• Original Assignee: MAS Donald Dettwiler and Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Se, Shuen Yan Stephen, Jakola, Roy Henry, Jasiobedzki, Piotr, Parry, David Owen
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/08 involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10021 Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/285 using a sequence of stereo image pairs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/579 from motion
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images

Abstract

The present invention provides a system (method and apparatus) for creating photorealistic 3D models of environments and/or objects from a plurality of stereo images obtained from a mobile stereo camera and optional monocular cameras. The cameras may be handheld, mounted on a mobile platform, manipulator or a positioning device. The system automatically detects and tracks features in image sequences and self-references the stereo camera in 6 degrees of freedom by matching the features to a database to track the camera motion, while building the database simultaneously. A motion estimate may be also provided from external sensors and fused with the motion computed from the images. Individual stereo pairs are processed to compute dense 3D data representing the scene and are transformed, using the estimated camera motion, into a common reference and fused together. The resulting 3D data is represented as point clouds, surfaces, or volumes. The present invention also provides a system (method and apparatus) for enhancing 3D models of environments or objects by registering information from additional sensors to improve model fidelity or to augment it with supplementary information by using a light pattern projector. The present invention also provides a system (method and apparatus) for generating photo-realistic 3D models of underground environments such as tunnels, mines, voids and caves, including automatic registration of the 3D models with pre-existing underground maps.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method of producing an enhanced three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment or an object, comprising the steps of:

a) acquiring 3D information of an environment or an object from at least one range sensing device;

b) producing a 3D model of the environment or object from the acquired 3D information suitable for visualization, analysis or post-processing;

c) projecting a pattern onto a region of interest of the environment or object;

d) acquiring data from a sensing device trained on the region of interest of the environment or object onto which the light pattern is projected;

registering the acquired data from the sensing device of region of interest with the 3D information from the range sensing device; and

e) combining the data from the sensing device with the 3D model to give an enhanced 3D model.

38. The method according to claim 37 wherein said least one range sensing device is a first stereo camera integrated with said light pattern projection means.

39. The method according to claim 38 wherein said first stereo camera includes at least two individual image capture means where there is an overlap between stereo images captured by said at least two individual image capture means, and wherein step b) of producing a 3D model of the environment or object from the acquired 3D information includes computing dense 3D data sets, representative of the environment, from stereo images captured by said at least two individual image capture means by matching image intensity or color distributions between the stereo images.

40. The method according to claim 38 wherein said sensing device trained on the region of interest is a second camera.

41. The method according to claim 40 wherein the projected light pattern comprises identification features allowing establishing correspondence between images captured by the first stereo camera and the second camera.

42. The method according to claim 37 including sampling areas of the region of interest using a sensor.

43. The method according to claim 42 wherein said sensor is a chemical, biological or radiological sensor for determining chemical or biological compositions of the region of interest.

44. The method according to claim 37 wherein said at least one range sensing device is a at least one stereo camera mounted for movement with respect to the environment or an object, and wherein the steps of acquiring 3D information of the environment or object from the at least one range sensing device and producing a 3D model of the environment from the acquired 3D information suitable for visualization, analysis or post-processing includes:

a) acquiring a plurality of stereo images of the environment or an object from said at least one stereo camera, moving with respect to said environment or object, the stereo camera having at least two individual image capture means where there is an overlap between images captured by said at least two individual image capture means;

b) detecting 3D features in the stereo images and computing a 3D position and descriptor for each detected 3D feature, and storing said 3D position and said descriptor of each 3D feature in a database;

c) computing relative motion of the at least one stereo camera with respect to the environment or object by matching the detected 3D features in the stereo images with 3D features stored in the database using descriptors of said 3D features;

d) computing dense 3D data sets, representative of the environment or object, from at least one range sensing device;

e) transforming the computed dense 3D data from step d) into a selected coordinate frame of reference using the computed relative motion from step c) to give transformed dense 3D data in the selected coordinate frame of reference; and

f) storing the transformed dense 3D data, and producing a 3D model of the environment or object from the stored transformed dense 3D data suitable for visualization, analysis or post-processing.

45. An apparatus for producing an enhanced three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment or an object, comprising the steps of:

a) at least one range sensing device for acquiring 3D information of an environment or an object;

b) processing means for producing a 3D model of the environment or object from the acquired 3D information suitable for visualization, analysis or post-processing;

c) light pattern projection means for projecting a pattern of light onto a region of interest of the environment or object;

d) a sensing device trained on the region of interest of the environment or object acquiring onto which the light pattern is projected; and

e) processing means for registering the acquired data from the sensing device containing the projected light pattern with the 3D information from the range sensing device and combining the data from the sensing device with the 3D model to give an enhanced 3D model.

46. The apparatus according to claim 45 wherein said at least one range sensing device is a stereo camera integrated with said light pattern projection means.

47. The apparatus according to claim 46 wherein said stereo camera integrated with said light pattern projection means are mounted on a pan and tilt unit.

48. The apparatus according to claim 47 wherein pan and tilt unit is mounted on any one of a stationary tripod and a mobile platform.

49. The apparatus according to claim 46 wherein said stereo camera integrated with said light pattern projection means are a hand-held device

50. The apparatus according to claim 45 including a sensor mounted to sample the region of interest of the environment or object.

51. The method according to claim 50 wherein said sensor is a chemical, biological or radiological sensor for determining chemical or biological compositions of the region of interest.

52-68. -68. (canceled)