Systems and methods for synchronizing an image sensor

A system comprising:

• a camera configured to capture image data, wherein the camera comprises a camera clock configured to generate timestamps corresponding to the image data;
• a processor in communication with the camera;
• at least one memory comprising instructions executable by the processor, the instructions causing the processor to:
• receive image data captured using the camera while the camera is moving along a pathway;
• assemble a camera trajectory by applying a structure-from-motion algorithm to the image data to generate a plurality of positions forming the camera trajectory, wherein the plurality of positions indicates a plurality of estimated positions in which images were captured by the camera as the camera move along the pathway, and wherein the camera trajectory indicates a plurality of timestamps in which the images were captured by the camera;
• receive position data acquired along the pathway using a position sensor, wherein timestamps for the image data and position data are asynchronous;
• assemble a position sensor trajectory using the position data, wherein the position sensor trajectory indicates a plurality of positions in which position measurements were captured by the position sensor as the position sensor move along the pathway and a plurality of timestamps in which the position measurements were captured by the position sensor, and wherein the position sensor trajectory is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data acquired along the pathway;
• generate a spatial transformation that aligns the camera trajectory and position sensor trajectory by applying a coherent point drift algorithm to the camera trajectory and position sensor trajectory, wherein the coherent point drift algorithm matches a shape, position, and scale of the camera trajectory to the position sensor trajectory;
• and
• synchronize the camera based on the spatial transformation.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for synchronizing a camera sensor, carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause a system to perform steps to:

• receive image data captured using an image sensor that is moving along a pathway;
• generate an image sensor trajectory by applying a structure-from-motion algorithm to the image data to generate a plurality of positions forming the image sensor trajectory, wherein the plurality of positions indicates a plurality of estimated positions in which images were captured by the image sensor as the image sensor move along the pathway, and wherein the image sensor trajectory indicates a plurality of timestamps in which the images were captured by the image sensor;
• receive position data acquired along the pathway using a position sensor, wherein timestamps for the image data and position data are asynchronous;
• assemble a position sensor trajectory using the position data, wherein the position sensor trajectory indicates a plurality of positions in which position measurements were captured by the position sensor as the position sensor move along the pathway and a plurality of timestamps in which the position measurements were captured by the position sensor, and wherein the position sensor trajectory is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data acquired along the pathway;
• generate a spatial transformation that aligns the image sensor trajectory and position sensor trajectory by applying a coherent point drift algorithm to the image sensor trajectory and position sensor trajectory, wherein the coherent point drift algorithm matches a shape, position, and scale of the image sensor trajectory to the position sensor trajectory;
• and
• synchronize the image sensor using the spatial transformation.