Fusion of raw measurement data, obtained using an active measuring principle, and images to form a representation with depth and/or distance information

A method for creating a representation, containing depth and/or distance information, of an area from measurement data obtained by observing the area, the method comprising the following steps:

• providing measurement data of a first measuring modality, which transmits an electromagnetic or acoustic wave into the observed area and receives a reflected wave from this area, wherein the measurement data contain an interesting property of the reflected wave, which depends on a distance between a location of reflection and a sensor used for the measurement, along a view beam;
• providing at least one image of the observed area that was acquired with a second measuring modality;
• from a geometric arrangement of sensors used for the first and second measuring modalities, in relation to one another, ascertaining correspondences as to which points of the at least one image on the one hand and points along the view beam on the other hand relate to the same location in the area;
• for the same location in the area, formulating multiple hypotheses relating to a position of the location in space are in each case formulated using the measurement data of the first measuring modality, and/or the at least one image, and/or the ascertained correspondences;
• and
• aggregating the hypotheses in a desired representation to form depth and/or distance information with respect to the location.

A non-transitory machine-readable data carrier on which is stored a computer program including machine-readable instructions for creating a representation, containing depth and/or distance information, of an area from measurement data obtained by observing the area, the instructions, when executed by one or more computers, causing the one or more computers to perform the following steps:

• providing measurement data of a first measuring modality, which transmits an electromagnetic or acoustic wave into the observed area and receives a reflected wave from this area, wherein the measurement data contain an interesting property of the reflected wave, which depends on a distance between a location of reflection and a sensor used for the measurement, along a view beam;
• providing at least one image of the observed area that was acquired with a second measuring modality;
• from a geometric arrangement of sensors used for the first and second measuring modalities, in relation to one another, ascertaining correspondences as to which points of the at least one image on the one hand and points along the view beam on the other hand relate to the same location in the area;
• for the same location in the area, formulating multiple hypotheses relating to a position of the location in space are in each case formulated using the measurement data of the first measuring modality, and/or the at least one image, and/or the ascertained correspondences;
• and
• aggregating the hypotheses in a desired representation to form depth and/or distance information with respect to the location.

One or more computers configured to create a representation, containing depth and/or distance information, of an area from measurement data obtained by observing the area, the one or more computers configured to:

• provide measurement data of a first measuring modality, which transmits an electromagnetic or acoustic wave into the observed area and receives a reflected wave from this area, wherein the measurement data contain an interesting property of the reflected wave, which depends on a distance between a location of reflection and a sensor used for the measurement, along a view beam;
• provide at least one image of the observed area that was acquired with a second measuring modality;
• from a geometric arrangement of sensors used for the first and second measuring modalities, in relation to one another, ascertain correspondences as to which points of the at least one image on the one hand and points along the view beam on the other hand relate to the same location in the area;
• for the same location in the area, formulate multiple hypotheses relating to a position of the location in space are in each case formulated using the measurement data of the first measuring modality, and/or the at least one image, and/or the ascertained correspondences;
• and
• aggregate the hypotheses in a desired representation to form depth and/or distance information with respect to the location.