Apparatus and method for capturing images

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a device and a method for image acquisition are provided. The acquisition device comprises a steering mechanism fixedly coupled to a steering mechanism mounting portion and configured to drive the mounting component to rotate around a rotation axis and provide angle information; a plurality of image acquisition units arranged circumferentially on the annular portion and configured to acquire image data of a target space at a set of second predetermined angles during a first predetermined angle of rotation of the mounting component around the rotation axis, the first predetermined angle being less than 360°; a point cloud data acquisition unit arranged on the mounting component and configured to acquire point cloud data of the target space at least at the set of second predetermined angles synchronously with the acquisition of the image data; and a control unit configured to process the image data and the point cloud data synchronously based at least on the angle information to generate a virtual reality image of the target space. The acquisition device can simplify the scanning process and facilitate the calibration and fusion of point data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of three-dimensional scanning, and particularly to methods, apparatus, devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products for acquiring images. Background Technology

[0002] 3D scanners are used to detect and analyze the shape and appearance data of objects or environments in the real world. Typically, 3D scanners utilize laser cameras to achieve precise, non-contact data acquisition, converting the three-dimensional information of the object into digital signals that computers can recognize and process directly. The data acquired by a 3D scanner can be used for 3D reconstruction calculations to create digital models of real or virtual objects in the real world.

[0003] For example, when scanning an indoor environment, a 3D scanner can be placed in a fixed position within the environment, and during its rotation driven by its drive components, data is acquired at more than six angles by optical detection components (e.g., including LiDAR and cameras) to complete the scan. Currently, some 3D scanners also use fisheye lenses for their LiDAR to complete the scan with fewer acquisitions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first aspect of this disclosure, an acquisition device is provided. The acquisition device includes: a mounting component including a steering mechanism mounting portion and an annular portion; a steering mechanism fixedly coupled to the steering mechanism mounting portion and configured to drive the mounting component to rotate about a rotation axis and provide angle information; a plurality of image acquisition units arranged circumferentially on the annular portion and configured to acquire image data of a target space at a set of second predetermined angles during a first predetermined angle of rotation of the mounting component about the rotation axis, the first predetermined angle being less than 360°; a point cloud data acquisition unit arranged on the mounting component and configured to acquire point cloud data of the target space synchronously with the acquired image data at least at a set of second predetermined angles during the rotation of the mounting component about the rotation axis; and a control unit configured to synchronously process the image data and point cloud data, at least based on the angle information, to generate a virtual reality image of the target space.

[0005] The acquisition device according to embodiments of this disclosure can acquire virtual reality images of a target space during a rotation of less than one revolution (i.e., 360°), improving acquisition efficiency. Furthermore, the camera can acquire image data and point cloud data of the target space at a set of second predetermined angles (e.g., in a stationary position) of less than one revolution, further improving the accuracy and reliability of the acquired data, and ultimately improving the accuracy and reliability of the virtual reality images. Moreover, and more importantly, the acquisition device according to embodiments of this disclosure can simultaneously acquire point cloud data and image data of a certain area while the mounting component is at a predetermined angle (i.e., the acquisition device is stationary), without requiring at least a predetermined rotation angle to acquire point cloud data of a certain area, as is the case in conventional solutions. The control unit can then process the image data and point cloud data synchronously. In this way, data acquisition efficiency and data fusion quality can be further improved.

[0006] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for acquiring images is provided. The method includes acquiring angle information of the rotation mechanism while a steering mechanism of the acquisition device drives a mounting component of the acquisition device to rotate about a rotation axis; acquiring image data of a target space at a set of second predetermined angles, where the first predetermined angle is less than 360°, by a plurality of image acquisition units of the acquisition device during the rotation of the mounting component about the rotation axis; acquiring point cloud data of the target space synchronously with the acquired image data at at least at a set of second predetermined angles during the rotation of the mounting component about the rotation axis; and simultaneously processing the image data and point cloud data, at least based on the angle information, to generate a virtual reality image of the target space.

[0007] By using this method, the acquisition device can achieve full-space scanning by simply rotating to a set of predetermined second angles (three angular positions), which improves acquisition efficiency, accuracy, and reliability of data acquisition.

[0008] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that can be executed by a processor to implement the method of the second aspect.

[0009] It should be understood that the content described in this summary section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a data acquisition device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3 A flowchart of a process for acquiring images according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4 A block diagram of an apparatus for acquiring images according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 5 A block diagram of an apparatus capable of implementing several embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0012] It should be noted that the headings of any section / subsection provided herein are not limiting. Various embodiments are described throughout this document, and embodiments of any type may be included under any section / subsection. Furthermore, embodiments described in any section / subsection may be combined in any way with any other embodiments described in the same section / subsection and / or different sections / subsections.

[0013] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below. The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0014] The embodiments of this disclosure may involve user data, data acquisition, and / or use. All of these aspects comply with applicable laws, regulations, and relevant provisions. In the embodiments of this disclosure, all data collection, acquisition, processing, manipulation, forwarding, and use are conducted with the user's knowledge and confirmation. Accordingly, in implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, the type, scope of use, and usage scenarios of any data or information that may be involved should be communicated to the user and their authorization obtained in accordance with relevant laws and regulations through appropriate means. The specific methods of notification and / or authorization may vary depending on the actual situation and application scenario, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0015] In this specification and the embodiments, any processing of personal information will be carried out only under the premise of legality (such as obtaining the consent of the personal information subject, or being necessary for the performance of a contract), and will only be carried out within the scope stipulated or agreed upon. A user's refusal to process personal information beyond what is necessary for basic functions will not affect the user's use of basic functions.

[0016] As used in this paper, the term "model" refers to a system that learns the relationship between inputs and outputs from training data, enabling it to generate corresponding outputs for a given input after training. Model generation can be based on machine learning techniques. Deep learning is a machine learning algorithm that uses multiple layers of processing units to process inputs and provide corresponding outputs. In this paper, "model" may also be referred to as a "machine learning model," a "machine learning network," or simply a "network," and these terms are used interchangeably.

[0017] As briefly mentioned earlier, laser cameras, as a crucial component of 3D scanners, enable non-contact data acquisition. A typical laser camera includes a lidar unit, a camera, a main control board, a pan-tilt motor, a tripod, and a battery. The lidar unit can be either 2D or 3D, used to acquire point cloud data of an object or environment. The camera can be one or more devices, used to acquire RGB image data of the object or environment. Furthermore, the RGB image data and point cloud data are used to generate a panoramic image of the object or environment, as well as post-processing depth maps and 3D models.

[0018] Although most laser scanners can perform full-space scanning with a single click (i.e., one-click start of data acquisition), during the scanning process, laser cameras generally need to acquire data from more than six angles to cover a 360-degree panorama. This scanning method is cumbersome and time-consuming.

[0019] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an acquisition device. According to various embodiments of this disclosure, the acquisition device includes at least a mounting component, a steering mechanism, a plurality of image acquisition units, a point cloud data acquisition unit, and a control unit. The mounting component includes an annular portion and a steering mechanism mounting portion. The steering mechanism is fixedly coupled to the steering mechanism mounting portion and includes a rotating portion adapted to be coupled to a support component such as a tripod for driving the mounting component to rotate about a rotation axis relative to a base of the acquisition device. The steering mechanism may include a sensor such as an encoder for providing angular information to the control unit. The plurality of image acquisition units are arranged circumferentially on the annular portion, and a first centerline of a first field of view of the plurality of image acquisition units extends radially outward along the annular portion. The plurality of image acquisition units are configured to acquire image data of a target space at a set of second predetermined angles during a first predetermined angle, such as 180°, of rotation of the mounting component about the rotation axis. The point cloud data acquisition unit is arranged on the mounting component and is configured to acquire point cloud data of the target space synchronously with the acquisition of the image data at at least a set of second predetermined angles during rotation of the mounting component about the rotation axis. Furthermore, the control unit can synchronously process the acquired image data and point cloud data based on angle information to generate a virtual reality image of the target space.

[0020] This approach improves data acquisition efficiency, facilitates the calibration and fusion of point cloud and image data, and thus enhances the quality of virtual reality images. By enabling the image acquisition unit 220 and the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 to simultaneously acquire image data and point cloud data at each of a set of predetermined angles, the synchronicity and quality of data acquisition are improved, laying a solid foundation for subsequent data fusion. Furthermore, the control unit can also process point cloud and image data synchronously. This approach improves both data acquisition efficiency and data fusion quality.

[0021] Example Environment Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example environment 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown. Environment 100 may be a measurement and scanning scene of a building structure. In environment 100, a data acquisition device 110 is placed at a fixed position within a target space 105 to perform a full-space scan. For example, the data acquisition device 110 may be a 3D scanner, and the target space 105 may be an indoor environment, such as a room, etc.

[0022] Although some embodiments of this disclosure will be described below in this scenario, it should be understood that this is merely one of many application scenarios for the 3D scanning solutions proposed in this disclosure. The embodiments of this disclosure are also applicable to other application scenarios of 3D scanning. Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited in this respect.

[0023] It should also be understood that the arrangement of environment 100, target space 105, and acquisition device 110 is described for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure.

[0024] The following will refer to Figure 2 The structure and function of the data acquisition device 110 will be described in detail below. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a data acquisition device 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the acquisition device 200 includes a mounting component 210, a steering mechanism, multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224, a point cloud data acquisition unit 230, and a control unit.

[0025] The acquisition device 200 can be mounted on a support device (such as a tripod or stabilizer) for stabilization and positioning purposes to perform full-space scanning. The support device may have a gimbal base for securing the acquisition device 200. The acquisition device 200 may also include a housing (not shown), a mounting component 210 for covering and protecting the acquisition device 200, and other components coupled thereto. Suitable locations on the housing may include multiple through-holes for the fields of view 24 (hereinafter referred to as the first field of view) of the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 to acquire images. Furthermore, the acquisition device 200 may also include a power supply, a main control board, etc. These components are not shown for the purpose of simplicity.

[0026] Mounting component 210 may be disposed within a housing and includes a steering mechanism mounting portion 212 and an annular portion 214. In some embodiments, the steering mechanism mounting portion 212 may be located at the bottom of the acquisition device 200, while the annular portion 214 may be located at the top of the acquisition device 200.

[0027] A plurality of image acquisition units 221 to 224 are arranged on the annular portion 214. In some embodiments, the annular portion 214 may have a shape such as an annular shape or a regular polygon, which is suitable for uniformly distributing the plurality of image acquisition units 221 to 224.

[0028] The steering mechanism can be coupled to the steering mechanism mounting portion 212 of the mounting member 210 and includes a rotating portion. The rotating portion is adapted to be arranged on the gimbal base of a support device such as a tripod. Since the support device is fixed to the ground and cannot rotate, during the rotation of the rotating portion, the portion of the steering mechanism fixed to the steering mechanism mounting portion 212 will rotate relative to the gimbal base, thereby driving the mounting member 210 to rotate about the rotation axis AA'. For example, the steering mechanism can be a gimbal motor and includes a gearbox, etc. The rotating portion can be located at the output shaft of the gearbox. In this way, while the gimbal motor rotates horizontally and / or vertically, the mounting member 210 also achieves the corresponding steering. In some embodiments, the gimbal motor can be a stepper motor with an angle encoder, thereby directly acquiring the angle information of the steering mechanism rotation. In addition, in some embodiments, the gimbal motor can also be a general motor, and the acquisition device 200 can also include components for acquiring the angle information of the steering mechanism rotation, for example, these components may include, but are not limited to, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) or a magnetic coding unit (not shown).

[0029] Multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224, which may also be collectively referred to as image acquisition unit 220, act as cameras for a 3D scanner to acquire image data (e.g., RGB image data) of the target space. As an example, image acquisition unit 220 may employ a non-fisheye lens to avoid lens distortion caused by an excessively large field of view.

[0030] Multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 may be arranged circumferentially on the annular portion 214. In some embodiments, the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 are symmetrically arranged on the annular portion 214. The first center line BB' of the first field of view of the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 extends radially outward along the annular portion 214.

[0031] like Figure 2As shown, multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 include four cameras, symmetrically arranged on the annular portion 214 with respect to the rotation axis AA'. As an example arrangement, the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 can be evenly arranged within a predetermined angular range of the annular portion 214. For example, the predetermined angular range can be approximately 180° to 230°. In this way, the first field of view of the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 can substantially cover one full circle in the circumferential direction when in a fixed position. In this manner, the steering mechanism only needs to rotate half a circle to complete the full-space scan. Furthermore, since the required rotation angular range is reduced, the number of points where images need to be captured is also reduced without affecting image quality or increasing the field of view (FOV) of the image acquisition device 200. In other words, the image acquisition units 221 to 224 can acquire image data of the target space at a set of second predetermined angles (e.g., three second predetermined angles) during the first predetermined angle when the mounting component 210 rotates half a circle (i.e., 180°) around the rotation axis AA', generating a virtual reality image of the target space. For example, in some embodiments, the first predetermined angle can be 180°, or any other suitable angle less than 360° (e.g., 270°). Taking a first predetermined angle of 180° as an example, the set of second predetermined angles can include 0°, 60°, and 120°. Furthermore, for ease of measurement, the steering mechanism can pause briefly (e.g., for several seconds) when rotating to the set of second predetermined angles, allowing the image acquisition unit 220 to capture an image at the current angle. Thus, in this case, the set of second predetermined angles can each correspond to three image acquisition points. On the one hand, this arrangement can reduce image distortion while increasing the total field of view of the image acquisition unit 220 of the acquisition device 200. On the other hand, since fewer acquisition points are required, the acquisition device 200 can perform full-space scanning more efficiently.

[0032] The second median of the second field of view of the point cloud data acquisition unit forms a non-zero angle with the first plane containing the first median. The first plane containing the multiple first median lines of the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 can be a plane, for example... Figure 2 As shown, the second center line is perpendicular to the first surface. In this way, conflicts between the image acquisition units 221 to 224 and the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 can be avoided, thereby facilitating the miniaturization of the acquisition device.

[0033] In some embodiments, the first surface may also be a conical surface, and the second centerline is collinear with or coincides with the centerline of the conical surface. In this way, it is possible to miniaturize the acquisition device while further enabling the image acquisition units 221 to 224 and the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 to overlap their fields of view, thereby improving the data fusion quality.

[0034] In some embodiments, the multiple first fields of view of the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 may partially overlap. This facilitates the stitching of image data acquired by the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 and reduces distortion at the edges of each camera. The point cloud data acquisition unit 230 may be a LiDAR. The point cloud data acquisition unit 230 is arranged on the mounting member 210, for example, it may be located on the front of the mounting member 210. At a corresponding location on the housing, there is a hemispherical protrusion for at least partially arranging the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 therein.

[0035] In some embodiments, the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 may be configured to acquire point cloud data of the target space at least at the set of second predetermined angles during the rotation of the mounting component 210 about the rotation axis AA'. In other words, the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 can complete the acquisition of point cloud data of the target space during the rotation of the mounting component 210 about the rotation axis. The acquisition method may include continuous acquisition as the mounting component 210 rotates, or alternatively, fixed-point acquisition at the set of second predetermined angles.

[0036] In some embodiments, the multiple first fields of view of the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 and the second field of view of the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 can overlap. In this way, on the one hand, the overlapping fields of view facilitate the calibration of the multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 and the point cloud data acquisition unit 230. On the other hand, this arrangement allows the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 to acquire point cloud data of a region simultaneously with the image acquisition units 221 to 224 acquiring image data of that region in a static state (e.g., at any point within a set of second predetermined angles). This improves the quality of data acquisition. The control unit can synchronously process the acquired point cloud data and image data, thereby efficiently generating a virtual reality image with depth information indicated by the point cloud data, thus improving the quality and efficiency of data fusion. It should be understood that "generating a virtual reality image" here means that the control unit can directly generate a virtual reality image through modeling or other methods, or it can mean that the control unit only generates intermediate data for constructing a virtual reality image, and then uses other control units or other steps to generate the virtual reality image from the intermediate data through modeling or other methods.

[0037] In some embodiments, the rotation axis AA' can pass through the intersection of the second centerline and the first surface. This arrangement can facilitate the calibration and fusion of image data acquired by image acquisition units 221 to 224 and point cloud data acquired by point cloud data acquisition unit 230.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first field of view of image acquisition units 221 to 224 and the second field of view of point cloud data acquisition unit 230 may at least partially overlap. This can facilitate the calibration of point cloud data acquisition unit 230 and image acquisition units 221 to 224.

[0039] In some embodiments, when the first surface is a plane, it can be a vertical plane, and the second plane containing the second centerline can be a horizontal plane. The number of the plurality of image acquisition units 221 to 224 can be associated with the field of view angle of the first field of view. The field of view angle of the first field of view can include a lateral field of view angle and a longitudinal field of view angle. The lateral field of view angle is the component of the field of view angle of the first field of view in the horizontal plane, and the longitudinal field of view angle is the component of the field of view angle of the first field of view in the vertical plane. In order to make the plurality of first fields of view of the plurality of image acquisition units 221 to 224 overlap, the angle between the first centerlines of the plurality of image acquisition units 221 to 224 should be smaller than the longitudinal field of view angle. Similarly, as mentioned above, the number of a set of second predetermined angles is associated with the lateral field of view angle. For example, each second predetermined angle is smaller than the lateral field of view angle, so that the image data acquired by the image acquisition units 221 to 224 at the set of second predetermined angles can partially overlap, thereby facilitating the stitching of image data.

[0040] As an example arrangement, the number of multiple image acquisition units 221 to 224 is four, and a set of second predetermined angles includes three angles along a second plane. For example, the first field of view can cover a range of approximately 320° longitudinally and approximately 80° horizontally front and rear. Assuming the initial angle of the mounting component 210 is 0°, a full-space scan can be completed by simply turning at three angles in the horizontal direction (i.e., 0°, 60°, and 120°).

[0041] Furthermore, the arrangement of the second centerline of the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 perpendicular to the first surface containing the first centerline of the image acquisition units 221 to 224 allows the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 and the image acquisition units 221 to 224 in the 3D scanner to acquire point cloud data and image data in different directions. This reduces interference between the two to some extent, making the structure of the acquisition device 200 more compact and enabling full-space scanning with fewer acquisition cycles.

[0042] In some embodiments, the steering mechanism can also be configured to drive the mounting component 210 to rotate to the initial position after image data acquisition is complete. This allows the next scan to begin directly from the initial position, avoiding a reset from the ending position, thus making the scanning process more efficient. In some embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the acquisition device 200 can further process image data and point cloud data synchronously based on the angle information from the steering mechanism to generate a virtual reality image of the target space.

[0043] Example process Figure 3 A flowchart of a process 300 for acquiring an image according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Process 300 can be implemented in... Figure 2 The data acquisition devices shown number 200. See below for reference. Figure 2 Describe the process 300.

[0044] In box 310, during the rotation of the mounting component of the acquisition device 200 about its rotation axis driven by the steering mechanism of the acquisition device 200, angular information of the rotation mechanism is acquired. The angular information of the rotation mechanism can be provided, for example, by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) or a magnetic coding unit (not shown) mentioned above.

[0045] In frame 320, during the rotation of the mounting component 210 of the acquisition device 200 about a first predetermined angle about a rotation axis, the acquisition device 200 acquires image data of the target space at a set of second predetermined angles. The first predetermined angle may be, for example, less than 360°, such as 180°.

[0046] In frame 330, the acquisition device 200 acquires point cloud data of the target space synchronously with the acquired image data at at least a set of second predetermined angles while the mounting component 210 rotates about the rotation axis.

[0047] In frame 340, the acquisition device 200 simultaneously processes image data and point cloud data based at least on angle information to generate a virtual reality image of the target space.

[0048] The following describes an example of process 300, in which the acquisition device 200 employs... Figure 2 The structure is shown. During the data acquisition process, the mounting component 210 of the acquisition device 200 rotates half a revolution (or less than one revolution) along the rotation axis AA', during which the image acquisition unit 220 and the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 simultaneously perform image data acquisition and point cloud data acquisition at a set of second predetermined angles, respectively.

[0049] Specifically, the image acquisition unit 220 can acquire image data and point cloud data of a certain area at the current angle when the mounting component 210 rotates to a second predetermined angle and stops briefly. That is, the image acquisition unit 220 and the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 simultaneously acquire data at the initial position (corresponding to 0°), when rotated to 60°, and when rotated to the final position (corresponding to 120°) of the mounting component 210. In this way, the data acquisition quality can be significantly improved, laying a solid foundation for subsequent data processing.

[0050] The image acquisition unit 220 can acquire at least one image with different or the same exposure mode at each angle for subsequent virtual reality image synthesis. Simultaneously, it can also acquire point cloud data of the region corresponding to the image data at each angle. Of course, step-by-step acquisition is only one acquisition method of the image acquisition unit 220; in other embodiments, the image acquisition unit 220 can also continuously acquire image data during rotation.

[0051] In some embodiments, the point cloud data acquisition unit 230 can also continuously acquire point cloud data during the data acquisition process. Simultaneously, the angle information of the point cloud data acquisition unit 230's position can be obtained in real time by a stepper motor, magnetic encoder, or IMU for subsequent point cloud data synthesis.

[0052] In some embodiments, after the acquisition device 200 completes the data acquisition process (i.e., the steering mechanism drives the mounting component 210 to rotate to 120°), the acquisition device 200 may remain at the termination position or be reset to the initial position.

[0053] Example devices and equipment Figure 4 A schematic structural block diagram of an image acquisition device 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The device 400 may be implemented as or included in... Figure 2 The data acquisition device 200 is shown. The various modules / components in the device 400 can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0054] As shown in the figure, the device 400 includes a steering unit 401, which can control the steering mechanism to drive the mounting component to rotate around the rotation axis. During this process, the steering unit 401 can provide rotation angle information.

[0055] The device 400 also includes a plurality of image acquisition units 410 configured to acquire image data of the target space at a set of second predetermined angles during a first predetermined angle of rotation of the mounting component of the device 400 about a rotation axis. For example, the first predetermined angle is less than 360°.

[0056] The device 400 also includes a point cloud data acquisition unit 420, configured to acquire point cloud data of the target space at at least a set of second predetermined angles during the rotation of the mounting component about a rotation axis, in sync with the acquisition of the image data.

[0057] The device 400 also includes a control unit 430 configured to generate a virtual reality image of the target space based at least on angle information point cloud data and image data.

[0058] In some embodiments, a plurality of image acquisition units 410 may be arranged circumferentially on an annular portion, and the first center line of the first field of view of the plurality of image acquisition units extends radially outward along the annular portion.

[0059] In some embodiments, the point cloud data acquisition unit 420 may be arranged on a mounting component, and the second centerline of the second field of view of the point cloud data acquisition unit forms a non-zero angle with the first surface where the first centerline is located.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first surface may be a plane, and the second centerline may be perpendicular to the first surface.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first surface may be a conical surface, and the second midline may be collinear with the centerline of the conical surface.

[0062] In some embodiments, the axis of rotation passes through the intersection of the second centerline and the first surface.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first field of view and the second field of view may at least partially overlap.

[0064] In some embodiments, a plurality of image acquisition units 410 may be arranged circumferentially within a predetermined angle range of the annular portion of the device 400.

[0065] In some embodiments, the multiple first fields of view of the multiple image acquisition units partially overlap.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first surface is a vertical plane, the second plane containing the second center line is a horizontal plane, and the number of the plurality of image acquisition units 410 is associated with the field of view angle of the first field of view.

[0067] In some embodiments, the number of the plurality of image acquisition units 410 is four, and the set of second predetermined angles includes three angles along the second plane.

[0068] In some embodiments, the steering portion of the device 400 is further configured to drive the mounting component to rotate to the initial position of the device 400 after the acquisition of image data is completed.

[0069] Figure 5A block diagram is shown illustrating a computing device 500 in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. It should be understood that... Figure 5 The computing device 500 shown is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of the embodiments described herein. Figure 5 The computing device 500 shown can be used to implement Figure 2 The data acquisition device 200.

[0070] like Figure 5 As shown, computing device 500 is in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Components of computing device 500 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 510, memory 520, storage devices 530, one or more communication units 540, one or more input devices 550, and one or more output devices 560. Processing unit 510 may be a physical or virtual processor and is capable of performing various processes according to programs stored in memory 520. In a multiprocessor system, multiple processing units execute computer-executable instructions in parallel to improve the parallel processing capability of computing device 500.

[0071] Computing device 500 typically includes multiple computer storage media. Such media can be any accessible media that is accessible to computing device 500, including but not limited to volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Memory 520 can be volatile memory (e.g., registers, cache, random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory), or some combination thereof. Storage device 530 can be removable or non-removable media and can include machine-readable media, such as flash drives, disks, or any other media that can be used to store information and / or data (e.g., training data for training) and can be accessed within computing device 500.

[0072] The computing device 500 may further include additional removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile storage media. Although not explicitly stated... Figure 5 As shown, disk drives for reading from or writing to removable, non-volatile disks (e.g., "floppy disks") and optical disk drives for reading from or writing to removable, non-volatile optical disks can be provided. In these cases, each drive can be connected to a bus (not shown) via one or more data media interfaces. Memory 520 may include computer program product 525 having one or more program modules configured to perform various methods or actions of various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0073] The communication unit 540 enables communication with other computing devices via a communication medium. Additionally, the components of the computing device 500 can function as a single computing cluster or multiple computing machines capable of communicating via communication connections. Therefore, the computing device 500 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more other servers, networked personal computers (PCs), or another network node.

[0074] Input device 550 can be one or more input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, trackball, etc. Output device 560 can be one or more output devices, such as a monitor, speaker, printer, etc. Computing device 500 can also communicate as needed with one or more external devices (not shown) via communication unit 540. These external devices, such as storage devices, display devices, etc., can communicate with one or more devices that enable user interaction with computing device 500, or with any device (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enables computing device 500 to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Such communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interfaces (not shown).

[0075] According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer-executable instructions thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above. According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, which is tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and includes computer-executable instructions, which are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above.

[0076] Various aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer program products implemented according to this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0077] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0078] Computer-readable program instructions can be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions that execute on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0079] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0080] Various implementations of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or improvements to technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A data acquisition device (200), comprising: Mounting component (210) includes steering mechanism mounting part (212) and ring part (214). The steering mechanism is fixedly coupled to the steering mechanism mounting portion (212) and configured to drive the mounting component (210) to rotate about the rotation axis and provide angle information; Multiple image acquisition units (221, 222, 223, 224) are arranged circumferentially on the annular portion (214) and are configured to acquire image data of the target space at a set of second predetermined angles during the rotation of the mounting component (210) about the axis of rotation of a first predetermined angle, wherein the first predetermined angle is less than 360°. A point cloud data acquisition unit (230) is arranged on the mounting component (210) and configured to acquire point cloud data of the target space at least at the set of second predetermined angles during the rotation of the mounting component (210) about the rotation axis, in sync with the acquisition of the image data. as well as The control unit is configured to synchronously process the image data and the point cloud data, based at least on the angle information, to generate a virtual reality image of the target space. The second centerline of the second field of view of the point cloud data acquisition unit (230) forms a non-zero angle with the first surface where the first centerline of the first field of view of the plurality of image acquisition units (221, 222, 223, 224) is located.

2. The acquisition device (200) according to claim 1, wherein the first surface is a plane, and the second centerline is perpendicular to the first surface, and the rotation axis passes through the intersection of the second centerline and the first surface.

3. The acquisition device (200) according to claim 1, wherein the first surface is a conical surface, and the second centerline is collinear with the centerline of the conical surface.

4. The acquisition device (200) according to claim 1, wherein the first field of view of the plurality of image acquisition units (221, 222, 223, 224) and the second field of view of the point cloud data acquisition unit (230) at least partially overlap.

5. The acquisition device (200) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of image acquisition units (221, 222, 223, 224) are arranged circumferentially within a predetermined angle range of the annular portion (214).

6. The acquisition device (200) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first fields of view of the plurality of image acquisition units (221, 222, 223, 224) partially overlap.

7. The acquisition device (200) according to claim 2, wherein the first surface is a vertical plane, the second plane where the second centerline is located is a horizontal plane, and the number of the plurality of image acquisition units (221, 222, 223, 224) is related to the field of view of the first field of view.

8. The acquisition device according to claim 7, wherein the number of the plurality of image acquisition units (221, 222, 223, 224) is four, and the set of second predetermined angles includes three angles along the second plane.

9. The acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism is further configured to drive the mounting component (210) to rotate to the initial position after the acquisition of the image data and the point cloud data is completed.

10. A method for acquiring images using the acquisition device according to any one of claims 1-9, comprising: During the rotation of the mounting component of the acquisition device around the rotation axis driven by the steering mechanism of the acquisition device, the angle information of the steering mechanism is acquired; During the first predetermined angle when the mounting component rotates about the rotation axis by multiple image acquisition units of the acquisition device, image data of the target space is acquired at a set of second predetermined angles, wherein the first predetermined angle is less than 360°. During the rotation of the mounting component around the rotation axis, the point cloud data acquisition unit of the acquisition device acquires point cloud data of the target space at least at a set of second predetermined angles in sync with the acquisition of the image data; as well as Based at least on the angle information, the image data and the point cloud data are processed synchronously to generate a virtual reality image of the target space.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first predetermined angle is 180°.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising: In response to determining that the acquisition of the image data and the point cloud data has been completed, the mounting component (210) is rotated to the initial position.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executable by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 10-12.

Images