Rotating 3D Camera Rig for Full-Coverage Image Stitching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D imaging systems face challenges in obtaining images from all points surrounding an object without other cameras appearing in the field of view and ensuring that lighting does not directly encompass cameras, which hinders effective imaging and reconstruction.
Innovation Solution
A camera rig with a rotatable and translatable array of cameras and lights is configured to obtain images from all angles around an object, with lighting directed away from the cameras' field of view, and a control system stitches images together using positional data to create a 3D model.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cameras are positioned on a rig surrounding the object to obtain images from all angles, then complete 3D coverage is improved, but cameras may appear in each other's field of view and lighting may directly encompass cameras, degrading image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hemispherical rig structure where cameras are positioned on a curved surface, allowing each camera to capture images from angles that prevent other cameras from appearing in the field of view. The spherical geometry naturally directs camera view vectors outward, eliminating the harmful effect of cameras appearing in each other's shots while maintaining complete 360-degree coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Each camera on the rig is positioned with specific local orientation and viewing angle tailored to its location on the hemispherical structure. This localized positioning ensures that each camera's field of view is optimized to capture object details without including other cameras, while the collective arrangement of all cameras provides comprehensive 3D coverage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If images are obtained from many angles using multiple cameras, then 3D reconstruction completeness is improved, but the complexity of matching and stitching images increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes the geometric relationships and positional parameters of all cameras on the hemispherical rig before image capture. By predetermined the camera positions, orientations, and projection matrices in advance, the complex task of matching and stitching images is simplified during processing, as the transformation relationships between adjacent camera views are already known from the rigid structured positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cameras are positioned to capture all surrounding points, then imaging completeness is improved, but the risk of direct light encompassing cameras increases, affecting image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The hemispherical rig configuration naturally positions cameras on a curved surface where their view vectors are directed tangentially or outward, away from the central lighting area. This spherical geometry creates natural angular separation between light sources positioned near the object center and camera positions on the hemisphere, preventing direct light from entering camera lenses while maintaining complete surrounding coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods described below provide for rapid imaging of an object and reconstruction of a 3D image of the object. The imaging system is configured to obtain numerous images of an object from many angles around the object. The imaging system includes a camera rig which supports several cameras, with the viewing angle of each camera directed to the object. The camera rig is rotatable about the object, or vice-versa, in order to obtain images around the entirety of the object. The location of each camera is used by an imaging processing system to match adjacent images to be stitched together, avoiding the need to compare edges of a number of images to match an image to an adjacent image.