An edge feature-based external calibration of monocular camera and LiDAR using in-orbit data

Abstract

Multimodal perception represents a vital approach for observing non-cooperative targets in space. The accurate determination of the extrinsic parameters for monocular camera and LiDAR systems serves as the cornerstone for achieving effective space multimodal perception. However, due to factors like launch and operation, these extrinsic parameters can experience drift, thereby compromising the overall performance of the multimodal perception system. To tackle this challenge, this study introduces a novel approach: an edge feature-based external calibration method for monocular camera and LiDAR using in-orbit data. The proposed methodology involves several steps. Firstly, edges are extracted from the image, followed by distance transformation based on the edge image. The subsequent integration of the edge image and distance image yields the search scene image. Then, edge feature is extracted from the point cloud data. Finally, after constructing the objective function, genetic algorithms are used to determine precise external parameters. Simulation results underscore the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, affirming its ability to achieve high-precision calibration results for external parameters even within intricate spatial environments.