Surveying Apparatus Stereo Imaging External Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surveying apparatuses struggle to accurately determine the positional relationship of features around a measurement point from captured images, requiring users to revisit the surveying field for analysis.
Innovation Solution
A surveying apparatus equipped with a rotatable sighting telescope and an imaging device that captures stereo images by rotating 180 degrees about both horizontal and vertical axes, allowing for the calculation of external orientation parameters of these images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a normal camera is used to capture images of the surveying area, then the image can be obtained easily, but the relative positions of features around the measurement point cannot be easily determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the imaging device with the surveying apparatus (total station) so that they share a common coordinate system and measurement reference. The imaging device is integrated into the rotating mechanism of the surveying apparatus, allowing synchronized capture of images with precise positional and orientational data from the surveying measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces subjective visual judgment with objective computational methods. Instead of manually determining relative positions from images, the system uses external orientation parameter calculation and coordinate transformation algorithms to automatically and precisely determine the spatial relationships between features and the measurement point.
2Measurement precision
If stereo images are captured with a rotatable sighting telescope and imaging device, then external orientation parameters can be calculated precisely, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging device is integrated with the existing rotatable sighting telescope mechanism of the surveying apparatus. Both components share the same horizontal and vertical rotation axes, allowing them to be positioned and oriented simultaneously without requiring separate mounting structures or additional rotation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The surveying apparatus performs multiple functions: it conducts traditional surveying measurements to obtain coordinate data, captures images with the integrated imaging device, and calculates external orientation parameters. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated imaging equipment while achieving precise positional determination.
3Loss of information
If users need to know the positional relationship of features in captured images, then they must revisit the surveying field, but this increases time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary capture of both surveying data and images at the measurement point during the initial surveying operation. The external orientation parameters are calculated immediately from this data, preserving all necessary information about feature positions relative to the measurement point before the user needs to analyze it.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the surveying scene including precise coordinate information and images with embedded external orientation parameters. This digital replica contains all spatial relationship information needed for analysis, eliminating the need for physical site visits while maintaining accurate positional data.
Data Source
AI summary
A surveying apparatus is provided that includes a sighting telescope, an imaging device, and an external orientation parameter calculator. The sighting telescope is rotatable about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis. The imaging device is integrally rotated with the sighting telescope and the imaging device has an optical axis that is different from the collimation axis. The external orientation parameter calculator calculates external orientation parameters of stereo images that are obtained by the imaging device in an erecting observation and in an inverse observation in terms of the position of the optical axis with respect to the collimation axis, and the sighting directions in the erection observation and in the inverse observation.