Automatic registration of multi-view range images measured under free condition

Describes a method for automatic registration of real-time serial range images obtained free from any artificial restriction. As the first step, serial range images are captured by a real-time 3-D measurement system developed in our laboratory. Then, four cross points between four real and/or virtual planes extracted from an extended Gaussian-image of the target are estimated in each range image and four corresponding points between two consecutive range images are determined from thus estimated cross points and extended Gaussian-images, automatically. Next, affine transformation matrices, which give the mutual position relationship between two consecutive range images, are derived in order from the thus determined four corresponding points. Concatenating the thus derived affine transformation matrices in order, registration of all serial range images are performed by transforming them to one coordinate system of an arbitrarily chosen range image. As a result, automatic registration of time sequential range images is realized with high accuracy and low computational cost