Production of Dense Range Images with the CVL Light-Stripe Range Scanner.

Abstract : This report describes a system able to produce 512 x 512 range images of model scenes in the laboratory. This ranging instrument, which comprises a light-emitting slit, a cylindrical lens, a step-motor controlled mirror and a CCD camera, is compact enough to be mounted on the tool plate of a robot arm. The light source itself is mounted away from this structure, and the light is brought to the slit by a flexible fiberoptic light guide. The robot arm's motion can be controlled by inputs from the range scanner, for simulation of autonomous vehicles equipped with rangers. This system is programmed to produce range images which are comparable in many respects to range images produced by laser range scanners. With this similitude of formats, software for edge detection, object recognition, dynamic path planning or data fusion with video images can be developed on range images produced by this laboratory equipment and can be easily ported to laser ranging systems. Keywords: Computer vision.