Automated Camera Calibration (ACAL) is a computer program that automates the generation of calibration data for camera models used in machine vision systems. Machine vision camera models describe the mapping between points in threedimensional (3D) space in front of the camera and the corresponding points in two-dimensional (2D) space in the camera's image. Calibrating a camera model requires a set of calibration data containing known 3D-to-2D point correspondences for the given camera system. Generating calibration data typically involves taking images of a calibration target where the 3D locations of the target's fiducial marks are known, and then measuring the 2D locations of the fiducial marks in the images. ACAL automates the analysis of calibration target images and greatly speeds the overall calibration process. ACAL consists of three modules:

  1. ACALDOTS — the primary module — takes calibration target images, locates and measures the 2D locations of the target's fiducial marks and then synthesizes their corresponding 3D locations based on knowledge of the calibration target's geometry and its 3D location. ACALDOTS handles uneven lighting, large-scale variations due to range differences, and barrel distortion effects of the type found in wide-angle lenses. It understands both planar and corner-cube (i.e., 3D) calibration target geometries.
  2. ACALINFO takes the calibration data produced by ACALDOTS and estimates an initial 3D position and orientation (i.e., camera pose) for the camera to seed the estimation of the remaining camera model parameters.
  3. ACALFIX takes the original calibration data and the camera model produced from it and generates a refined set of calibration data by removing localization errors in the 2D fiducial mark positions introduced by perspective foreshortening caused by the calibration target's orientation and geometry.

The automation in ACAL is robust enough that under even extreme image conditions, the required input from the user averages to no more than about one mouse click per target fixture.

This program was written by Siqi Chen, Yang Cheng, and Reg Willson of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.

This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Karina Edmonds of the California Institute of Technology at (626) 395-2322. Refer to NPO-41312.



This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Document cover
Automated Camera Calibration

(reference NPO-41312) is currently available for download from the TSP library.

Don't have an account? Sign up here.