EFFICIENT AND ACCURATE CAMERA CALIBRATION TECHNIQUE FOR 3D MACHINE VISION.

Abstract

The author describes a two-stage technique for 3-D camera calibration using off-the-shelf TV cameras and lenses. The technique is aimed at efficient computation of the external position and orientation of the camera relative to the object reference coordinate system as well as its effective focal length, radial lens distortion and image scanning parameters. A critical review of the state of the art is given and it is shown that the two-stage technique has advantages in terms of accuracy, speed and versatility. A theoretical framework is established and supported by comprehensive proof Test results using real data are described. Both accuracy and speed are reported. A 388 multiplied by 480 CCD camera calibrated by this technique performed several 3-D measurement with an average accuracy of 1/4000 over the field of view, or 1/8000 over the depth. The experimental results are analyzed and compared with theoretical prediction.