Panoramic Imaging: Sensor-Line Cameras and Laser Range-Finders

8

Sensor Analysis and Design

The control method, as provided in the previous chapter, does not allow solutions for all possible quadruples of four individual input values for D₁, D₂, H₁, and θ_w. There are geometric constraints (e.g., D₁ < D₂) or relations between these parameters which restrict the set of possible input values. Furthermore, such constraints or relations also restrict the set of all 6-tuples (D₁, D₂, H₁, θ_w, R, ω). If R is only between 0 and 0.2m, then this (eventually) results in constraints for the other five parameters.

This chapter investigates dependencies and interactions between these six parameters. To be more precise, we analyze validity ranges, interrelationships, and characteristics of value changes for these six sensor parameters. The aim is to study what can be achieved with respect to camera (or sensor) analysis and design.

8.1 Introduction

Cameras or sensors are limited with respect to possibleparameter settings. A value of R = 1.0 m, as available to us in some experiments, can certainly not be guaranteed in general. There might be a customer expectation that R should be (say) 0.4 m at most. The question occurs, for which scenes such a sensor still would allow optimum (or “near-optimum”) parameter settings, and how such a limitation of R interacts with other sensor or scene parameters.¹ In order to answer these questions, sensor (or camera) parameter analysis is essential; this is the main subject of this chapter.

Consider another example; assume ...