Methods and apparatus for practical 3D vision system
First Claim
1. A method of three-dimensional (3D) vision for determining at least one of a position and orientation of an object in three dimensions, the method comprisingA. calibrating multiple cameras that are disposed to acquire images of the object from different respective viewpoints to discern a mapping function that identifies rays in 3D space emanating from each respective camera'"'"'s lens that correspond to pixel locations in that camera'"'"'s field of view,wherein the calibrating step includes determining, from images acquired substantially simultaneously by the multiple cameras, correlations between positions in 3D space and pixel locations in each respective camera'"'"'s field of view,B. training functionality associated with the multiple cameras to recognize expected patterns in images of the object acquired by different ones of the multiple cameras, and training that functionality in regard to reference points of those expected patterns, such that training as to those expected patterns facilitates insuring that the reference points for those patterns coincide as between images obtained by those cameras, andC. triangulating locations in 3D space of one or more of the patterns from pixel-wise positions of those patterns in images of the object and from the mappings discerned during step (A).
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Abstract
The invention provides inter alia methods and apparatus for determining the pose, e.g., position along x-, y- and z-axes, pitch, roll and yaw (or one or more characteristics of that pose) of an object in three dimensions by triangulation of data gleaned from multiple images of the object. Thus, for example, in one aspect, the invention provides a method for 3D machine vision in which, during a calibration step, multiple cameras disposed to acquire images of the object from different respective viewpoints are calibrated to discern a mapping function that identifies rays in 3D space emanating from each respective camera'"'"'s lens that correspond to pixel locations in that camera'"'"'s field of view. In a training step, functionality associated with the cameras is trained to recognize expected patterns in images to be acquired of the object. A runtime step triangulates locations in 3D space of one or more of those patterns from pixel-wise positions of those patterns in images of the object and from the mappings discerned during calibration step.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of three-dimensional (3D) vision for determining at least one of a position and orientation of an object in three dimensions, the method comprising
A. calibrating multiple cameras that are disposed to acquire images of the object from different respective viewpoints to discern a mapping function that identifies rays in 3D space emanating from each respective camera'"'"'s lens that correspond to pixel locations in that camera'"'"'s field of view, wherein the calibrating step includes determining, from images acquired substantially simultaneously by the multiple cameras, correlations between positions in 3D space and pixel locations in each respective camera'"'"'s field of view, B. training functionality associated with the multiple cameras to recognize expected patterns in images of the object acquired by different ones of the multiple cameras, and training that functionality in regard to reference points of those expected patterns, such that training as to those expected patterns facilitates insuring that the reference points for those patterns coincide as between images obtained by those cameras, and C. triangulating locations in 3D space of one or more of the patterns from pixel-wise positions of those patterns in images of the object and from the mappings discerned during step (A).
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28. A method of three-dimensional (3D) vision for determining at least one of a position and orientation of an object in three dimensions, the method comprising
A. calibrating multiple cameras that are disposed to acquire images of the object from different respective viewpoints to discern a mapping function that identifies rays in 3D space emanating from each respective camera'"'"'s lens that correspond to pixel locations in that camera'"'"'s field of view, B. training functionality associated with the cameras to recognize expected patterns in images to be acquired by different ones of the multiple cameras of the object, wherein the training step includes training, based on images acquired substantially simultaneously by the multiple cameras, the functionality associated with the cameras to select like reference points of said expected patterns, such that training the cameras to select those reference points facilitates insuring that the reference points for those patterns coincide as between images obtained by those cameras, C. triangulating locations in 3D space of one or more of the patterns from pixel-wise positions of those patterns in images of the object and from the mappings discerned during step (A).
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29. A method of three-dimensional (3D) vision for determining at least one of a position and orientation of an object in three dimensions, the method comprising
A. calibrating multiple cameras that are disposed to acquire images of the object from different respective viewpoints to discern a mapping function that identifies rays in 3D space emanating from each respective camera'"'"'s lens that correspond to pixel locations in that camera'"'"'s field of view, B. training functionality associated with the multiple cameras to recognize expected patterns in images of the object acquired by different ones of the multiple cameras, and training that functionality in regard to reference points of those expected patterns, such that training as to those expected patterns facilitates insuring that the reference points for those patterns coincide as between images obtained by those cameras, and C. triangulating locations in 3D space of one or more of the patterns from pixel-wise positions of those patterns in images of the object taken substantially simultaneously by the multiple cameras and from the mappings discerned during step (A).
Specification