Evaluation of pairwise calibration techniques for range cameras and their ability to detect a misalignment

Many applications require the use of multiple cameras to cover a large volume. In this paper, we evaluate several pairwise calibration techniques dedicated to multiple range cameras. We compare the precision of a self-calibration technique based on the movement in front of the cameras to object based calibration. While the self-calibration technique is less precise than its counterparts, it yields a first estimation of the transformation between the cameras and permits to detect when the cameras become mis-aligned. Therefore, this technique is useful in a practical situations.