Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

3D Models From Cheap Video Cameras

By Linköping University | September 5, 2018

Hannes Ovrén shows in his doctoral thesis in computer vision at Linköping University how 3D models can be created from video films recorded with simple body- or robot-mounted cameras. The research opens new possibilities for both robots and humans, not least for the police and rescue services.

Research in computer vision has a major significance for the future of artificial intelligence: autonomous systems rely on the ability of robots and other systems to orient themselves and discover objects and people.

Hannes Ovrén’s contribution shows how to create a 3D model of the surroundings, based on video films taken with an inexpensive body-mounted camera. The model reproduces scale accurately, allowing measurements to be made.

“Currently, seeing robots move rather carefully, in order to keep track of where they are. In some cases, they may even have to stop in order to determine their location. This technology allows robots to move more freely and construct a model of the surroundings while moving,” says Per-Erik Forssén, docent at the Computer Vision Laboratory, and Hannes Ovrén’s principal supervisor.

Other fields of use can be found in, for example, police work or rescue work, where personnel with a body-mounted camera can recreate a crime scene or an accident location in three dimensions, with people and objects at the exact location they had at the instant the photograph was taken.

he problem with creating 3D models from simple video cameras has until now been that the camera must be stationary, preferably mounted on a tripod. If the camera moves, straight objects may appear to be curved in the image, or appear to be at different heights. Objects wobble, and a distorted image is obtained. This is because cheap cameras have a type of shutter known as a “rolling” shutter, which builds the image up in pixels row-by-row. Smartphones have this type of camera.

“Each image frame contains motion, but it is possible to improve the image significantly by modelling how the camera has moved and compensating for the motion,” says Hannes Ovrén.

To prevent the calculations from becoming too demanding, his method creates a curve, known as a “spline,” that describes how the camera has moved. This curve is constructed from spline knots, where each knot controls the appearance of the curve at a certain point in time. If the knots are placed more densely, the method can deal with more complex motion, but the calculations become more demanding.

Hannes Ovrén shows in the thesis that it is possible to use significantly fewer knots when the errors that arise due to the straightening and smoothing of the curve are modelled. In order to prevent the errors from becoming too large, the method also uses an inertial measurement unit attached to the camera. This is a small and cheap sensor that tracks acceleration, angular velocity and orientation relative to the ground.

“The measurements from the sensor are included in the calculations and we can in this way increase the distance between knots, reducing the size of the calculations,” says Hannes Ovrén.

The simplification means that the motion of the camera and the spline curve are not exactly the same. It is possible, however, to determine how the difference in pathway affects the magnitude of measurement errors, and in this way increase the reliability of the 3D model and the distances in it.

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: Rapid prototyping

 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
  • Sustainable Practices for a Sustainable World
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.OkNoRead more