Systems and methods of capturing large area images in detail including cascaded cameras and/or calibration features

A method of capturing images comprising:

• capturing, via a first system that includes one or more first image capturing devices, overview images related to each other along an overview axis, wherein the overview images depict first areas;
• and
• capturing, via a second system that includes a plurality of second image capturing devices, detail images related to each other along a detail axis, wherein the detail images depict second areas that are subsets of the first areas and the detail images have a higher resolution than corresponding portions of the overview images;
• wherein the overview images captured have a side overlap between 50% and 60% with images that are laterally adjacent to the overview axis, and a forward overlap between 94% and 99% with images that are longitudinally adjacent to the overview axis,
• after capturing the overview images and the detail images, a bundle adjustment process to determine interior and exterior orientations of the detail images is performed based on the side and forward overview image overlaps and the detail images, and
• detail photomaps are generated from the detail images using the interior and exterior orientations determined in the bundle adjustment process, and
• wherein the overview images have a redundancy greater than 17 images,
• an area of at least one overlapping overview portion between a first and second overview image is greater than or equal to 50% of an area of one of the first and second overview images, and
• an area of at least one overlapping portion of a first and second detail image is less than or equal to 10% of an area of one of the first and second detail images.

An image capturing system comprising:

• a first system comprised of one or more first cameras and configured to capture overview images that are related to each other along an overview axis, wherein the overview images have forward overlap between 94% and 99% with images that are longitudinally adjacent to the overview axis;
• and
• a second system comprised of a plurality of second cameras and configured to capture detail images having a higher resolution than corresponding portions of the overview images, the detail images related to each other along a detail axis, wherein the detail images are captured such that overlap of regions of the detail images is between 0% and 10%,
• wherein the one or more first cameras of the first system and second cameras in the second system are configured such that interior orientation information and exterior orientation information for the detail images may be determined from a bundle adjustment of the detail images performed after the detail images and the overview images are captured and based on overview image overlaps and the detail images, and
• detail photomaps are generated from the detail images using the interior and exterior orientation information, and
• wherein the overview images have a redundancy greater than 17 images,
• an area of at least one overlapping overview portion between a first and second overview image is greater than or equal to 50% of an area of one of the first and second overview images, and
• an area of at least one overlapping portion of a first and second detail image is less than or equal to 10% of an area of one of the first and second detail images.

An image capturing system comprising:

• a first system including one or more first image capturing devices that capture overview images, wherein the overview images depict first areas;
• and
• a second system including a plurality of second image capturing devices that capture detail images related to each other along a detail image axis;
• wherein the second image capturing devices are configured to capture the detail images such that the detail images:
• depict second areas that are subsets of the first areas,
• are arranged in strips parallel to the detail image axis, and
• have a higher resolution than corresponding portions of the overview images,
• wherein orientations of the detail images are determined through a bundle adjustment process that is performed after the overview images and the detail images are captured, and that uses overview image overlaps, and
• detail photomaps are generated from the detail images using the interior and exterior orientations determined through the bundle adjustment process, and
• wherein the overview images have a redundancy greater than 17 images,
• an area of at least one overlapping overview portion between a first and second overview image is greater than or equal to 50% of an area of one of the first and second overview images, and
• an area of at least one overlapping portion of a first and second detail image is less than or equal to 10% of an area of one of the first and second detail images.

A method of capturing images comprising:

• capturing, via a first system that includes a plurality of first image capturing devices arranged on a platform in different poses, overview images having an overlap to cause a same ground point to be visible and measurable on at least 30 of the overview images captured;
• capturing, via a second system that includes a plurality of second image capturing devices, detail images having a higher resolution than corresponding portions of the overview images and related to each other along a detail axis;
• after the overview images and the detail images are captured, performing a bundle adjustment process using at least overview image overlaps and the detail images,
• to determine spatial relationship information among the overview images and the detail images, and
• to determine interior orientation and exterior orientation of the detail images based on the spatial relationship information,
• wherein detail photomaps are generated from the detail images using the interior and exterior orientation, and
• wherein the overview images have a redundancy greater than 17 images,
• an area of at least one overlapping overview portion between a first and second overview image is greater than or equal to 50% of an area of one of the first and second overview images, and
• an area of at least one overlapping portion of a first and second detail image is less than or equal to 10% of an area of one of the first and second detail images.