3D imaging system
First Claim
1. A method of producing a three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment, comprising the steps of:
- a) acquiring a plurality of overlapping successive stereo images of an environment from one or more stereo cameras which are moving with respect to the environment, each of the one or more stereo cameras 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) for each successive stereo image, detecting features in the stereo images computing a 3D position and descriptor for each detected feature, and storing said 3D position and said descriptor as a 3D feature in a database;
c) for each successive stereo image, computing relative motion of the one or more stereo cameras with respect to the environment by matching the detected features in the stereo images with said 3D features stored in the database using descriptors of said 3D features;
d) for each successive stereo image, computing dense 3D data sets, representative of the environment from one or more range sensing devices;
e) for each successive stereo image, 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 for each successive stereo image and producing a 3D model of the environment from the stored transformed dense 3D data.
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Abstract
A system 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, 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 using a light pattern projector, and 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. 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 provided from external sensors and fused with the motion computed from the images.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of producing a three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment, comprising the steps of:
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a) acquiring a plurality of overlapping successive stereo images of an environment from one or more stereo cameras which are moving with respect to the environment, each of the one or more stereo cameras 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) for each successive stereo image, detecting features in the stereo images computing a 3D position and descriptor for each detected feature, and storing said 3D position and said descriptor as a 3D feature in a database; c) for each successive stereo image, computing relative motion of the one or more stereo cameras with respect to the environment by matching the detected features in the stereo images with said 3D features stored in the database using descriptors of said 3D features; d) for each successive stereo image, computing dense 3D data sets, representative of the environment from one or more range sensing devices; e) for each successive stereo image, 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 for each successive stereo image and producing a 3D model of the environment from the stored transformed dense 3D data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 37, 39, 40, 41)
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30. An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional (3D) model of an environment, comprising:
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a) one or more stereo cameras for acquiring a plurality of overlapping successive stereo images of an environment from each of said one or more stereo cameras 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) processing means for detecting features in the successive stereo images and computing a 3D position and descriptor for each detected feature, and storing said 3D position and said descriptor of each 3D feature in a database, said processing means including means for computing relative motion of the one or more stereo cameras with respect to the environment by matching the detected features in the stereo images with 3D features stored in the database using descriptors of said features; c) one or more range sensing devices and processing means for computing dense 3D data sets, representative of the environment, from said one or more range sensing devices; d) processing means for transforming the computed dense 3D data sets into a selected coordinate frame of reference using the computed relative motion of the at least one stereo camera to give transformed dense 3D data in the selected coordinate frame of reference; and e) storage means for storing the transformed dense 3D data sets, and processing means for producing a 3D model of the environment from the stored transformed dense 3D data. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38)
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Specification