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AssigneesYodea, Bga
InventorsBernard Alhadef, Laurent Alhadef
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The invention relates to a system for three-dimensionally modeling and restitution a subject, the system comprising a housing suitable for being carried in the hand by an operator, the housing having an optical unit with stereoscopic digital video cameras co-operating with an inertial navigation unit having a trihedron of optical fiber gyros and a trihedron of accelerometers for generating position and displacement signals in a frame of reference. The housing may also include, in particular, a telemeter laser, an infrared video camera, a GPS unit, inclinometers, and tri-flux magnetometers. A second subassembly connected to the housing by an optical and/or electrical connection cable contains an electrical power supply, electronic circuits, and a microcomputer for processing signals delivered by the housing and for generating a three-dimensional model of the subject, implementing a photogrammetric technique.
1/ A system for three-dimensional modeling and restitution of a subject of a determined scene in a three-dimensional space, the system comprising:
2/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said video camera comprises a semiconductor charge-coupled device that is sensitive to polychromatic light together with interchangeable objective lenses of different focal lengths.
3/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said first series of measurement means is constituted by a trihedron of three gyros, each gyro being in alignment with one of said axes of said frame of reference.
4/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said second series of measurement means is constituted by a trihedron of three accelerometers, each accelerometer being in alignment with one of said axes of said frame of reference.
5/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said measurement means generating signals measuring attitude, location, and displacement of said video camera relative to said frame of reference comprise locating means operating on electromagnetic signals transmitted by “GPS” type artificial satellites generating signals for locating said acquired digital image sequences.
6/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said measurement means generating the signals measuring attitude, location, and displacement of said video camera relative to said frame of reference comprise at least one magnetic sensor responsive to coded signals transmitted by magnetic beacons disposed at determined locations of known coordinates relative to said frame of reference.
7/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said first subsystem includes at least one inclinometer generating signals for correlating with at least the location signals generated by said measurement means.
8/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said first subsystem includes at least one mono- or multi-flux magnetometer generating signals for correlating with at least the location signals generated by said measurement means.
9/ A system according to claim 1, wherein a third subsystem is provided comprising at least one coordinate-initializing device comprising a support, said device being placed at a determined location in said scene of coordinates known relative to said frame of reference, and wherein said housing for transporting said first subsystem includes an initialization terminal for coupling in temporary manner with said support so as to reset said measurement means generating said signals measuring the attitude, the location, and the displacement on said initialization coordinates.
10/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said first subsystem further comprises a second video camera identical to said first video camera and servo-controlled thereto on an articulated arm in such a manner as to acquire first and second digital image sequences of said subject using a stereoscopic method, and wherein data signals characterizing said first and second acquired digital image sequences are transmitted to said digital data processor means of said second subsystem and are used to facilitate so-called “outlining” operations on the images in which the points constituting the outlines of determined objects in said images are detected.
11/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said first subsystem further comprises an infrared video camera for acquiring digitized thermal images of said subject, and wherein data signals characterizing said acquired digital thermal images are transmitted to said digital data processor means of said second subsystem and used to facilitate so-called “outlining” operations on the images in which the points constituting the outlines of determined objects in said images are detected.
12/ A system according to claim 1, wherein said first subsystem further comprises a telemeter.
13/ A system according to claim 1, wherein:
14/ A method of modeling and restitution in three dimensions a subject of a determined scene in a three-dimensional space implementing the system according to claim 1, the method comprising at least the following steps:
15/ A method according to claim 14, including an additional step performed after said step of storing said transmitted data, the additional step consisting in a so-called “outlining” operation using determined software means under the control of said digital data processor means so as to increase the accuracy with which points are determined that characterize the outlines of determined objects contained in said acquired image sequences.
16/ A method according to claim 14, including an additional step consisting in resetting said measurement means that generate said signals measuring attitude, location, and displacement, resetting being performed by a determined software processing operation on the images acquired during said acquisition step so as to compensate for drift of said measurement means.
17/ A method according to claim 14, including an additional step consisting in measuring the angular speed of said subject so as to acquire signals for adjusting parameters associated with taking said video recording.
18/ A method according to claim 14, including an additional step consisting in making photographs of a so-called “orthophotographic” type on the basis of data associated with said three-dimensional models obtained by said digital data processing.
19/ A method according to claim 14, including an iterative additional step for navigating in a three-dimensional universe on the basis of a three-dimensional model so as to verify the parameters that have been determined for said model and so as to undertake conditional modification of said three-dimensional model as a function of the result of said verification, by acquiring new image signals and new attitude, location, and displacement measurements.
20/ A method according to claim 14, including an additional step consisting, while taking said video, in acquiring redundant data signals characterizing said digital images and/or said attitude, location, and displacement measurements of said housing in such a manner as to improve the accuracy of said measurements by determined signal processing.