Development of High-Speed 3-D Range Finder Using Binocular Cameras.

Abstract

Many types of devices have already been presented for obtaining 2-D scene information ; however, there are only a few devices for obtaining 3-D distance image, and a low-cost and high-speed device has not yet been developed to date. In this paper a high-speed acquisition system of distance image has been developed with the intent of the future industrial application. The device manufactured for trial, which receives the video images obtained by binocular cameras, can detect many characteristic points within each horizontal scanning line and find corresponding points, simultaneously leading to the output of parallax image. This output can be used as the distance signal as it is, thereby enabling the high-speed measurement of 3-D distance image. This high-speed function will lead to applications in that the device is applicable to not only the simultaneous measurements of distance and image but also the robot technologies, as well as the eyes of unmanned equipments and blind people. Some application tests to evaluate its characteristics showed that sufficient accuracy was attained in the distance measurement and the high practicability was confirmed.