Vehicle Calibration Device Using Marker Pattern Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera and sensor calibration methods for vehicles require accurate placement of markers, often necessitating expensive specialist devices and complex operations, with limited precision in determining relative positions and attitudes between the camera/sensor and the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A calibration device and method that calculates relative positions and attitudes using a measured distance input device and a calibration parameter calculation device, eliminating the need for specialist devices by measuring distances between vehicle-based and rigid body-based points, and calculating calibration parameters from captured images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If accurate marker placement is performed using conventional methods (leveling string, plumb bobs, tape measures), then the positional relationship between camera/sensor and vehicle can be measured, but the measurement precision is limited and the operation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a marker with a known pattern that can be captured by the camera to create a digital copy of the marker's position and orientation. By detecting the marker pattern in the captured image and comparing it with the known pattern, the system calculates the camera's position and attitude relative to the marker without requiring physical measurement tools like tape measures or plumb bobs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement tools (leveling string, plumb bobs, tape measures) with an optical system. The camera captures an image of the marker, and image processing algorithms automatically determine the camera's position and orientation, substituting manual mechanical operations with automated optical-mechanical systems.
2Measurement precision
If specialist devices (marking devices, plotting devices) are used to dispose the marker accurately, then the calibration precision can be improved, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a simple, inexpensive marker that can be easily disposed of or repositioned. The marker consists of a pattern that can be printed on paper or a flat surface, eliminating the need for expensive, specialized calibration equipment. The marker serves its purpose in a single calibration operation and can then be discarded or reused.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex physical measurement devices, the system creates a digital representation of the marker's position through image capture and processing. The known pattern on the marker serves as a reference that can be repeatedly copied and analyzed through image processing, replacing the need for expensive physical measurement instruments.
3Measurement precision
If multiple complex procedures are executed to draw accurate coordinate axes and dispose the marker, then the calibration accuracy can be achieved, but the calibration time and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The marker is designed with a pre-defined known pattern that encodes positional and orientational information. This preliminary preparation of the marker allows the calibration system to directly calculate camera parameters from the captured image without requiring the operator to perform complex procedures like drawing coordinate axes or measuring distances with tape measures during the calibration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The marker pattern automatically provides the necessary reference information for calibration. When the camera captures the marker, the image processing system automatically detects the pattern's position and orientation and calculates the calibration parameters, eliminating the need for manual measurement and calculation steps. The system performs self-calibration based on the marker's inherent geometric properties.
Data Source
AI summary
A calibration device includes: a coordinate calculator that calculates coordinates of a plurality of rigid body-based points on a vehicle-based coordinate system from measurement values of respective distances between two points constituted by a combination of one of a plurality of vehicle-based points and one of the plurality of rigid body-based points, the plurality of vehicle-based points having known coordinates on the vehicle-based coordinate system and the plurality of rigid body-based points having known coordinates on a rigid body-based coordinate system; and a parameter calculator that calculates a relative attitude and a relative position of an origin as calibration parameters from a correspondence relationship between positions of image coordinates of the plurality of rigid body-based points within a captured image and the coordinates of the plurality of rigid body-based points on the vehicle-based coordinate system.