System and method for three-dimensional image reconstruction using an absolute orientation sensor

A three-dimensional image reconstruction system comprising:

• an image capture device that captures image;
• an inertial measurement unit (IMU) affixed to the image capture device that records IMU data associated with image data;
• and
• an image processor that includes one or more processing units and memory for storing instructions that are executed by the one or more processing units, wherein the image processor receives the image data and the IMU data as inputs, and calculates rigid body motion that includes a rotational component R and a translational component t between the image data and the current reconstructed point cloud, wherein the rotational component R of the calculated rigid body motion, but not the translational component t, is constrained by the IMU data and wherein the image processor utilizes a registration algorithm to register the image data with the current reconstructed point cloud.

A method of reconstructing a three-dimensional image from a plurality of received images, the method comprising:

• generating a partial point cloud from a received image;
• pre-aligning the partial point cloud with a current reconstructed point cloud based on orientation data provided by an inertial measurement unit (IMU);
• calculating rigid body motion between the partial point cloud and the current reconstructed point cloud until a distance between points in the partial point cloud and the current reconstructed point cloud is minimized;
• and
• registering the partial point cloud with the current reconstructed point cloud to update the current reconstructed point cloud.