Close-Form Solution of Absolute Orientation Based on Inverse Problem of Orthogonal Matrices

Absolute orientation is fairly important in stereo photogrammetry. The conventional solution for absolute orientation is iterative solution, which has complex algorithms, spends much time on computation, relies desperately on good initial value, and therefore is quite limited in practical applications. This paper analyses the inverse problem of orthogonal matrices and its optimal approximation, and then puts forward a fast close-form solution of absolute orientation based on inverse problem of orthogonal matrices. This fast solution allows one to determine the scale parameter without knowing the rotation parameters and translation parameters, and also allows one to determine the rotation parameters through singular value decomposition of coefficient matrix. The experimental results indicate that the algorithm has obvious advantage and adaptability, and can be widely used in photogrammetric area.