Camera series and parallel networks for deformation measurements of large scale structures

Videometrics is a technique for measuring displacement, deformation and motion with features of precision, multifunctional, automation and real time measurement etc. Videometrics with camera networks is a fast developed area for deformation measurements of large scale structures. Conventional camera network is parallel network where cameras are independent each other and the relations among the cameras are calibrated from their target images. In recent years, we proposed and developed two kinds of videometrics with camera series networks where cameras are connected each other in series and relations among the cameras can be relayed one by one for the deformation measurements of large and super large scale structures. In this paper, our research work in both the camera series and parallel networks for the deformation measurements of large scale structures are overviewed and some new development are introduced. First, our proposed methods of camera series networks are introduced, including the pose-relay videometrics with camera series and the displacement-relay videometrics with camera series. Then our work of large scale structure deformation measurement by camera parallel networks is overviewed. Videometrics with various types of camera networks has the broad prospect of undertaking automatic, long-term and continuous measurement for deformation in engineering projects such as wind turbine blades, ship, railroad beds, and bridges.