Camera calibration using structure from motion techniques

A system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a memory having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform functions comprising:
• receiving, via a camera coupled at an orientation and position to a vehicle autonomously navigating a path in an environment, a plurality of images indicative of a plurality of objects positioned within a threshold distance from the path in the environment of the vehicle during a respective time range;
• based on the plurality of images, determining an image-based pose indicative of the orientation and position of the camera;
• receiving from one or more laser-based sensors coupled to the vehicle as the vehicle navigates the path in the environment, sensor data indicative of an orientation and position of the vehicle relative to the plurality of objects positioned within the threshold distance from the path in the environment of the vehicle during the respective time range;
• based on the sensor data, determining a sensor-based pose indicative of the orientation and position of the vehicle relative to the plurality of objects in the environment, wherein both the sensor-based pose and the image-based pose correspond to the respective time range;
• aligning, as the vehicle autonomously navigates the path in the environment, a camera-based coordinate system of the image-based pose with a vehicle-based coordinate system of the sensor-based pose using one or more of a transform, rotation, and scaling;
• determining an adjustment for the orientation or position of the camera based on the alignment of the camera-based coordinate system of the image-based pose with the vehicle-based coordinate system of the sensor-based pose;
• and
• causing, as the vehicle navigates the path in the environment, calibration of the camera based on the adjustment.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

• receiving, via a camera coupled at an orientation and position to a vehicle autonomously navigating a path in an environment, a plurality of images indicative of a plurality of objects positioned within a threshold distance from the path in the environment of the vehicle during a respective time range;
• based on the plurality of images, determining an image-based pose indicative of the orientation and position of the camera;
• receiving from one or more laser-based sensors coupled to the vehicle as the vehicle navigates the path in the environment, sensor data indicative of an orientation and position of the vehicle relative to the plurality of objects positioned within the threshold distance from the path in the environment of the vehicle during the respective time range;
• based on the sensor data, determining a sensor-based pose indicative of the orientation and position of the vehicle relative to the plurality of objects in the environment, wherein both the sensor-based pose and the image-based pose correspond to the respective time range;
• aligning, as the vehicle autonomously navigates the path in the environment, a camera-based coordinate system of the image-based pose with a vehicle-based coordinate system of the sensor-based pose using one or more of a transform, rotation, and scaling;
• determining an adjustment for the orientation or position of the camera based on the alignment of the camera-based coordinate system of the image-based pose with the vehicle-based coordinate system of the sensor-based pose;
• and
• causing, as the vehicle navigates the path in the environment, calibration of the camera based on the adjustment.