Calibration and improvements of the high-resolution range-imaging camera SwissRanger™

The fast measurement of three-dimensional coordinates is one of the highly investigated aspects of engineering sciences. According to the requirements in speed, accuracy, reliability, resolution and costs several methods have been developed. The new range-imaging camera SwissRanger, developed by Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA (CSEM)(1, 2), is the first step to a follow-up generation of 3D-measurement systems and copes with the shortcomings and disadvantages of current photogrammetric systems and laser scanners. Because of its high-resolution with about twenty thousand pixels, the generated 3D-dataset even allows for deducing geometrical information of the enviromnent. The distance accuracy is approximately 1 cm. Temporal resolution makes real-time measurements possible. Several influencing parameters have been investigated in the calibration laboratories of the Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland). Besides first experiences and data analysis, a suitable approach for the calibration of such a system is proposed. Further, applications for the SwissRanger are presented.