Calibration of LiDAR device using infrared images

We present a new approach for the calibration of a LiDAR system to improve its accuracy in the acquisition of 3D data. The proposed method establishes laser-pixel correspondences between a LiDAR device and an infrared camera according to the captured laser trajectories in infrared images. The established correspondences are used to perform optimization calculations for the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the LiDAR system. Two error functions are combined by a linear weighting function in the optimization process, namely the reprojection error function and the flatness error function. Experimental results have been provided to demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to provide more suitable calibration parameters for the LiDAR system, thus reducing errors caused by the usage of unsuitable calibration parameters and improving the accuracy of the acquired range data.