A vision measurement model of laser displacement sensor and its calibration method

Laser displacement sensors (LDSs) use a triangulation measurement model in general. However, the non-linearity of the triangulation measurement model influences the measurement accuracy of the LDS, and the geometric parameters calibration process of the components of the LDS is tedious. In this paper, we present a vision measurement model of the LDS based on the perspective projection principle. Furthermore, a corresponding calibration method is proposed. A planar target with featured lines is moved by a 2D moving platform to some preset known positions. At each position, the world coordinates of calibration points are obtained by the cross ratio invariance principle and the linear array camera of the LDS is used for collecting target images. The simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and the feasibility of the calibration method. The experimental results indicate that the calibration method achieves a calibration accuracy of 0.026 mm. Compared with the traditional measurement model, the vision measurement model of the LDS is more comprehensive and avoids a linear approximation procedure, and the corresponding calibration method is easily complemented.     

An omnidirectional 3D sensor with line laser scanning

An active omnidirectional vision owns the advantages of the wide field of view (FOV) imaging, resulting in an entire 3D environment scene, which is promising in the field of robot navigation. However, the existing omnidirectional vision sensors based on line laser can measure points only located on the optical plane of the line laser beam, resulting in the low-resolution reconstruction. Whereas, to improve resolution, some other omnidirectional vision sensors with the capability of projecting 2D encode pattern from projector and curved mirror. However, the astigmatism property of curve mirror causes the low-accuracy reconstruction. To solve the above problems, a rotating polygon scanning mirror is used to scan the object in the vertical direction so that an entire profile of the observed scene can be obtained at high accuracy, without of astigmatism phenomenon. Then, the proposed method is calibrated by a conventional 2D checkerboard plate. The experimental results show that the measurement error of the 3D omnidirectional sensor is approximately 1 mm. Moreover, the reconstruction of objects with different shapes based on the developed sensor is also verified.     

Sphere-based calibration method for trinocular vision sensor

A new method to calibrate a trinocular vision sensor is proposed and two main tasks are finished in this paper, i.e. to determine the transformation matrix between each two cameras and the trifocal tensor of the trinocular vision sensor. A flexible sphere target with several spherical circles is designed. As the isotropy of a sphere, trifocal tensor of the three cameras can be determined exactly from the feature on the sphere target. Then the fundamental matrix between each two cameras can be obtained. Easily, compatible rotation matrix and translation matrix can be deduced base on the singular value decomposition of the fundamental matrix. In our proposed calibration method, image points are not requested one-to-one correspondence. When image points locates in the same feature are obtained, the transformation matrix between each two cameras with the trifocal tensor of trinocular vision sensor can be determined. Experiment results show that the proposed calibration method can obtain precise results, including measurement and matching results. The root mean square error of distance is 0.026 mm with regard to the view field of about 200×200 mm and the feature matching of three images is strict. As a sphere projection is not concerned with its orientation, the calibration method is robust and with an easy operation. Moreover, our calibration method also provides a new approach to obtain the trifocal tensor.     

Large depth-of-view portable three-dimensional laser scanner and its segmental calibration for robot vision

A portable 3D laser scanning system has been designed and built for robot vision. By tilting the charge coupled device (CCD) plane of portable 3D scanning system according to the Scheimpflug condition, the depth-of-view is successfully extended from less than 40 to 100 mm. Based on the tilted camera model, the traditional two-step camera calibration method is modified by introducing the angle factor. Meanwhile, a novel segmental calibration approach, i.e., dividing the whole work range into two parts and calibrating, respectively, with corresponding system parameters, is proposed to effectively improve the measurement accuracy of the large depth-of-view 3D laser scanner. In the process of 3D reconstruction, different calibration parameters are used to transform the 2D coordinates into 3D coordinates according to the different positions of the image in the CCD plane, and the measurement accuracy of is obtained experimentally. Finally, the experiment of scanning a lamina by the large depth-of-view portable 3D laser scanner used by an industrial robot IRB 4400 is also employed to demonstrate the effectiveness and high measurement accuracy of our scanning system.     

Holographic optical element for laser time-of-flight flow sensor

A novel laser time-of-flight flow sensor has been developed. A specially designed holographic optical element (HOE) constitutes the basis of the optical front end of the sensor. The multifunctional HOE maintains both the transmitting and receiving functions of the optical front end and is designed so that the alignment of the optical system is independent of small changes in the wavelength and temperature. This makes it possible to use a laser diode and makes the optical front end very compact and robust. The HOE is produced as a high-efficiency surface relief grating, thus making a large-scale production through polymer replication possible. The design and fabrication of the HOE is described and the stability of the sensor system is discussed with respect to wavelength variations. Direct calibration measurements on the sensor and test velocity measurements are presented. The sensor is intended for water flow measurements in pipes and can also be used for velocity measurements of solid surfaces.     

A novel 1D target-based calibration method with unknown orientation for structured light vision sensor

The problem associated with calibrating a structured light vision sensor is that it is difficult to obtain the coordinates of the world calibration points falling on the light stripe plane. In this paper, we present a novel method to address this problem by randomly moving a 1D (one-dimension) target within the sensor's view field. At each position where the target is set, the world coordinates with one calibration point on the light stripe plane that can be obtained based on at least three preset known points on the 1D target by a proposed two-stage technique. Thus, as long as the 1D target is at least set at three different positions, not less than three such calibration points can be obtained to perform the structured light vision sensor calibration. The simulation and real experiments conducted reveal that the proposed approach has an accuracy of up to 0.065 mm. The advantages of the proposed method are: (1) 1D target is easily machined with high accuracy, which reduces the cost of the calibration equipment; (2) the method simplifies the calibration operation and can be convenient in on-site calibration; (3) the method is suitable for use in confined spaces.     

Line structured light vision sensor calibration using parallel straight lines features

Line structured light vision sensor (LSLVS) calibration is to establish the relation between the camera and the light plane projector. This paper proposes a geometrical calibration method for LSLVS via three parallel straight lines on a 2D target. The approach is based on the properties of vanishing points and lines. During the calibration, one important aspect is to determine the normal vector of the light plane, another critical step is to obtain the distance parameter d of the light plane. In this paper, we put the emphasis on the later one. The distance constraint of parallel straight lines is used to compute a 3D feature point on the light plane, resulting in the acquisition of the parameter d. Thus, the equation of the light plane in the camera coordinate frame (CCF) can be solved out. To evaluate the performance of the algorithm, possible factors affecting the calibration accuracy are taken into account. Furthermore, mathematical formulations for error propagation are derived. Both computer simulations and real experiments have been carried out to validate our method, and the RMS error of the real calibration reaches 0.134 mm within the field of view 500 mm × 500 mm.     

A calibration method for stereo vision sensor with large FOV based on 1D targets

Large FOV (field of view) stereo vision sensor is of great importance in the measurement of large free-form surface. Before using it, the intrinsic and structure parameters of cameras should be calibrated. Traditional methods are mainly based on planar or 3D targets, which are usually expensive and difficult to manufacture especially for large dimension ones. Compared to that the method proposed in this paper is based on 1D (one dimensional) targets, which are easy to operate and with high efficiency. First two 1D targets with multiple feature points are placed randomly, and the cameras acquire multiple images of the targets from different angles of view. With the fixed angle between vectors defined by the two 1D targets we can establish the objective function with intrinsic parameters, which can be later solved by the optimization method. Then the stereo vision sensor with two calibrated cameras is set up, which acquire multiple images of another 1D target with two feature points in unrestrained motion. The initial values of the structure parameters are estimated by the linear method for the known distance between two feature points on the 1D target, while the optimal ones and intrinsic parameters of the stereo vision sensor are estimated with non-linear optimization method by establishing the minimizing function involving all the parameters. The experimental results show that the measurement precision of the stereo vision sensor is 0.046 mm with the working distance of about 3500 mm and the measurement scale of about 4000 mm×3000 mm. The method in this paper is proved suitable for calibration of stereo vision sensor of large-scale measurement field for its easy operation and high efficiency.     

视觉传感器的标定方法

在视觉检测方法的基础上,构造了一种便于几何测量的视觉传感器,给出了该视觉传感器的测量原理,并设计了该视觉传感器的标定方法,该方法利用空间中三个有特殊关系点的对应成像点,直接列写出方程组,求解出摄像机的内参数。内参数标定模型中考虑了几何畸变。     

Whole field surface roughness measurement by laser speckle correlation technique

This paper describes a speckle correlation technique for the determination of surface roughness, ranging from 1.6 to 50 μm. Instead of moving the laser beam, the specimen is rotated to achieve angular speckle correlation (ASC) in the far-field plane. The technique is simple and requires minimum optical alignment. The experimental results show a good agreement with the standard specimen of known roughness. An error analysis on the experiment has been carried out. Together with the theoretical curves, the roughness values can be easily related to the change of incidence angle at a particular visibility of the correlation fringes between two speckle patterns.     

基于神经网络的视觉系统标定方法

为了解决摄像机标定存在的若干问题 ,根据立体视觉原理 ,提出了基于神经网络的双目视觉系统标定方法。通过对双目摄像机的有效视场分析 ,确定了一次测量面积 ,并把像对视差作为网络输入 ,建立空间点世界坐标与图像坐标非线性映射关系 ,使系统不经过复杂的摄像机内外参数标定 ,就能直接提取物体的三维信息 ,增加了系统的灵活性。实验证明 ,该方法有效可行     

Theoretical analysis of 2D laser angle sensor and several design parameters

Having adopted several sets of new technology and techniques, such as cube-corner prism of higher refractive index, orthogonal holographic grating, non-linear compensation, and fringe fractionization, etc., we have developed a new type of laser angle sensor that can be used to measure two-dimensional angle of moving target. The sensor has high sensitivity, high precision and longer measuring range compared with the original sensor, and its measuring range will achieve ±35°, while its minimum resolution angle is 0.004°. The experimental results show that the measuring error is not greater than ±0.01°. In this paper, several design parameters and measuring results for 2D laser angle sensor are given.     

基于飞秒激光加工的微纳高温光纤振动传感器

报道了一种基于飞秒激光加工的微纳高温振动传感器。通过熔接形成单模光纤-空芯光纤-单模光纤的结构,利用单模光纤和空芯光纤在熔接面形成的菲涅尔反射,构成外腔式法布里-珀罗干涉仪(EFPI)。用飞秒激光烧蚀空芯光纤,形成悬臂梁结构。末端的单模光纤作为质量块,在受到振动时带动悬臂梁振动,使悬臂梁产生微弯,进而使EFPI腔长发生变化。实验结果表明,传感器的工作区域为20~300Hz,在100Hz时,0~3.01g范围内测得加速度分辨率为5×10-4 g,加速度响应灵敏度为129.6nm/g。传感器受温度影响小,腔长的温度交叉响应仅为0.225nm/℃,传感器可耐950℃高温冲击。     

Theoretical analysis of 2D acceleration laser sensor and several design parameters

Having adopted several sets of new technology and techniques, we have developed a new type of laser angle sensor that can be used to measure two-dimensional (2D) angle of moving target. On this basis, a new design for 2D acceleration laser sensor has been advanced. The optics-type sensor can be used to measure 2D acceleration of motion object, and it has high sensitivity, high precision and longer measuring range. Under these design parameters that are given in this paper, the measuring range will achieve 177 g, while its sensitivity is 13.5 s². The experimental results show that the measuring error is not greater than 0.1 g. In this paper, several design parameters and measuring results for 2D acceleration laser sensor are given.     

Development of multi-wavelength microsphere fibre laser system for potential sensor applications

A multi-wavelength microsphere laser system, using a chirped fibre Bragg grating and a microsphere resonator as wavelength-selective elements and a high dopant erbium doped fibre as the gain material, has been successfully demonstrated. The multi-wavelength generation of the laser system arises from both the microsphere whispering gallery mode selection and from the additional Raman scattering inside the microsphere cavity when the erbium laser is operating at resonance with the whispering gallery modes. Through an appropriate design and fabrication of a microsphere and of a fibre taper, a selective multi-wavelength fibre laser has been realized when the pump power is above threshold required. The laser output lines created have shown much narrower linewidths than those from conventional fibre lasers and these characteristics are particularly suitable for the range of sensor applications envisaged in the work.     

MODELLING of a two-dimensional photonic crystal with line defect for a laser gas sensor application

We present the results of a numerical analysis of a two-dimensional photonic crystal with line defect for a laser gas sensor working in a slow light regime. The geometrical parameters of photonic crystals with three different line defects were numerically analyzed: a missing row of holes, a row of holes with changed diameter and air channel. Antireflection sections were also analyzed. The simulations were carried out by MEEP and MPB programs, with the aim to get the values of a group refractive index, transmission and a light-gas overlap as high as possible. The effective refractive index method was used to reduce the simulation time and required computing power. We also described numerical simulation details such as required conditions to work in the slow light regime and the analyzed parameters values’ dependency of the simulation resolution that may influence the accuracy of the results.     

Novel calibration method for non-overlapping multiple vision sensors based on 1D target

The global calibration of multiple vision sensors (MVS) with non-overlapping views has been widely studied. In this paper, a novel calibration method for MVS with non-overlapping fields of view based on 1D target is presented. First, two neighboring vision sensors are selected. The rotation matrix between the two vision sensors is computed using the co-linearity property of the feature points on 1D target. Then the translation vector is computed according to the known distances between feature points on 1D target. The global calibration of all vision sensors is realized by repeating the above pair-wise calibration on different pairs of vision sensors. Due to the small volume and mobility of 1D target, the proposed global calibration method can be applied to vision sensors distributed in a large area or narrow space. Experiment results show that the RMS error of global calibration is within 0.060 mm.     

用表面等离子体共振传感器检测纳米间距

结合物理光学原理和表面等离子体共振（SPR）角度传感器,提出了可以突破衍射极限的纳米间距检测方法。在理论上建立起纳米间距和位相改变量之间的函数关系,借助于SPR角度传感器的高灵敏性,提出通过检测出射光束振动方向的p分量和s分量的位相差值来实现纳米间距的实时检测。模拟结果显示：纳米间距改变量从-0.5～0.5μm变化时,位相改变量可实现-150°～150°的变化,检测灵敏度〉1 nm。该检测方法能够实现10 nm以下间距的灵敏检测,且具有结构简单,易于操作,实时检测的特点。     

Molecular depth profiling and imaging using cluster ion beams with femtosecond laser postionization

The emergence of cluster ion sources as viable SIMS probes has opened new possibilities for detection of neutral molecules by laser postionization. Previous studies have shown that with atomic bombardment multiphoton ionization using high-power femtosecond pulses leads to photofragmentation. The large amount of photofragmentation can be mostly attributed to high amounts of internal energy imparted to the sputtered molecules during the desorption process. Several pieces of preliminary data suggest that molecules subjected to cluster beam bombardment are desorbed with lower internal energies than those subjected to atomic beam bombardment. Lower energy molecules may then be less likely to photodissociate creating less photofragments in the laser postionization spectra. Here we present data taken from coronene films prepared by physical vapor deposition comparing a 40 keV ion source with a 20 keV Au⁺ ion source, which supports this hypothesis. Furthermore, the depth profiling capabilities of cluster beams may be combined with laser postionization to obtain molecular depth profiles by monitoring the neutral flux. In addition, imaging and depth profiling may be combined with atomic force microscopy (AFM) to provide three-dimensional molecular images.     

Effect of cw-CO2 laser surface treatment on structure and properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy

In the study, samples of AZ91 magnesium alloy were subjected to a surface remelting treatment by means of a continuous wave (cw) CO₂ laser. The scope of the investigation included both macro- and microstructural examination, hardness measurements, and wear resistance tests. The investigation has shown that remelting treatment leads to a strong refinement of structure in the surface layer and a more even distribution of phases. Fine α-phase dendrites have been observed to dominate in the remelting zone. The dendritic arm spacing in the laser treated surface was in the range of 1–2.5 μm. The structural changes triggered by remelting have contributed to an increase in the hardness and the wear resistance of AZ91 alloy. The microhardness of the remelted zone has increased to 71–93 HV_0.05 for single-strip remelting and to 84–107 HV_0.05 for multi-strip remelting in comparison with about ~60 HV_0.05 for untreated alloy. The friction coefficient has decreased from 0.375 for material w/o treatment to 0.311 for remelted material. SEM investigations of samples after tribological tests have revealed the presence of parallel grooves proving the occurrence of microploughing and micro cutting of the material during the tribological testing. The results of the conducted investigation have indicated a beneficial influence of the cw-CO₂ laser remelting treatment on the structure and properties of AZ91 alloy.