Multi-camera calibration for accurate geometric measurements in industrial environments

Abstract

Accurate camera calibration is a challenging task required for 3D reconstruction sensors. In structured light sensors based on laser line projection, it is necessary to determine the position and orientation of the camera relative to the laser plane. The standard approach based on laser plane fitting requires a difficult setup, particularly in multi-camera configurations. This work proposes a calibration method based on a calibration plate with protruding cylinders. The projection of the laser line on the calibration plate produces a set of partial contours of ellipses, resulting from the projection of the cross section of the cylinders. These contours are used to calculate the position and orientation of the camera accurately. The proposed procedure is divided in two steps: a coarse calibration based on a robust estimator, which provides a rough approximation, and a fine calibration that iteratively optimizes the solution. The result is an accurate and robust procedure that can be applied to multiple cameras simultaneously on devices with limited computational power. Extended tests are used to validate the procedure with test pieces. Results indicate the calibration can be performed in 30 ms, producing a calibration error of only 0.027 mm.