Boresight Calibration of Mobile Laser Scanner Using an External Fixture

Abstract

Abstract The boresight misalignment of a mobile laser scanning system is a major source of error for point cloud data and cannot be measured directly. This paper presents a new boresight calibration method for a mobile laser scanner system that uses an external fixture with a simple checkerboard pattern. The boresight angles are determined by minimizing the differences between the measured relative distances of the intersection points of the squares in a checkerboard fixture with the corresponding actual distances in the fixture. Experimental results from scanning the checkerboard pattern on the fixture show that the calibrated values of the boresight angles match the manufacturer’s values within 0.22 cm. Using this simple checkerboard fixture in the field prevents surveyors from having to rely on roadway features or setting control targets and provides for an alternative approach for the boresight calibration of a mobile laser scanner system.