2010 3rd International Congress on Image and Signal Processing (CISP2010)

Study on Calibration Methods of Two Cameras in

Vehicles Four-wheel Alignment Based on 3D Vision

Xiao-kun Hu
School of Computer Science & Technology
Yantai University
Yantai Shandong , China

AbstractAccording to the characters that two cameras having transfer calibration method and single-pole double-board
little public visual in vehicles four-wheel alignment based on 3D calibration to get the extrinsic parameters of R21 and T21.
vision, this paper proposes two new methods that can calibrate
the extrinsic parameters of two cameras. These two methods have A. Traditional Calibration Method
their advantages respectively; they all can get the extrinsic
parameters of two cameras in no-public visual condition. The target board is marked as M, the graph of the target
board is designed according reference [3], and it is put within
Keywords-Vehicles four-wheel alignment; 3D vision; the public visual field of C1 and C2, as shown in Figure 1. R1,
Calibration of two cameras T1, R2, T2, respectively express the rotation and translation
matrix of C1 and C2 s coordinate system relative to M
I. INTRODUCTION coordinate system respectively, which have been calibrated
according the internal parameters of the two cameras,
Calibration method of two cameras in vehicles four-wheel respectively.
alignment based on 3D vision is a new advanced measurement.
Compared with the traditional four-wheel-positioning
technology, it has many advantages such as non-contact, real-
time, easy operation, high accuracy and low maintenance cost. C2
At present, there are several foreign four-wheel alignment C1
measurement techniques have adopted these technology, such
as V3D four-wheel aligners of U.S. JohnBean company[1]. The
main factor of these aligners, which can affect the measurement
accuracy, is the cameras calibration, and the calibration of M
extrinsic parameters of two cameras affects the model four-
wheel alignment, it is the key factor, which decides whether the
aligner is useful. In order to improve the the accuracy of the
camera, the cameras which have small Distortions are often be
adopted, as a result, the pubic visual of the camera is very
narrow. Under the narrow public visual, the traditional Figure 1. A sketch of traditional calibration method
calibration method for extrinsic parameters of two cameras will
Then the relation of R21 and T21 can be expressed as
be affected, the accuracy can not be guaranteed. This paper
following [4]:
proposes two new calibration methods that can overcome these
shortcomings and improve the effect of two-camera calibration. R21= (R1R2-1) , T21= T1 R1R2-1T2 (1)

II. CALIBRATION METHODS OF TWO CAMERAS
EXTRINSIC PARAMETERS
Calibration method for extrinsic parameters of two camera
is used to determiner the relative position of two camera[2],
that is to get the rotation matrix and translation vectors which
can unify the two cameras coordinate systems. The two
cameras are marked as C1, C2, the extrinsic parameter R21
marks the rotation matrix from camera C2s coordinate system
to camera C1s coordinate system, and the extrinsic parameters
T21 express the translation vectors from camera C2s coordinate
system to camera C1s coordinate system. In the following, we
will use the traditional calibration method, three cameras
B. Third Camera Transfer Calibration Method
If the two cameras has no public visual, the two cameras
cant take a photo simultaneously for the target board, we can
use the third camera to get it. The third camera is marked C3,
its position is shown as Figure 2. The target board M is placed
within the public visual field of C1 and C3, and the public visual
field of C2 and C3, one after another. R3a, T3a, R3b, T3b
respectively express the rotation and translation matrix of C1
and C2s coordinate system relative to M coordinate system,
which have been calibrated according the internal parameters
of the two cameras, respectively. By(1), the transform relations
are shown as follows:

978-1-4244-6516-3/10/$26.00 2010 IEEE 414

 C2 C2
C1 C1

M1

C3 M2

Figure 2. A sketch of third camera transfer calibration method. (a)

R31 = (R1R3a-1), T31 = T1 R1R3a-1T3a (2) C2
R32 = (R2R3b-1), T32 = T2 R2R3b-1T3b (3) C1
Lets suppose: Any point in space is marked as a, and its
coordinate in coordinate systems of cameraC1, camera C2, M1
camera C3 is marked as C1A, C2A, C3A , respectively, then we
can get the transform relations as follows:
C1A = R31C3A + T31 (4) M2
C2A = R32C3A + T32 (5)
By(4), (5), we get:
C1A = (R31R32-1) C2A + T31 (R31R32-1)T32 (6) (b)
Figure 3. A sketch of single pole and double board calibration method
Then R21 and T21 have following relationship:
R21 = (R31R32-1), T21 = T31 R31R32-1T32 parameters of the two cameras. Then the transform relations are
shown as follows:
C. Single pole and double board calibration method C1A = R11 M1A + T11 (7)
Another two cameras calibration method in no-public visual
is using single pole and double board to calibrate the extrinsic C1B = R12 M2B + T12 (8)
parameters. At this time, we can use two target boards, marked Because the relative position is fixed, if we suppose RM21,
as M1 and M2, and fixed them in the two ends of pole TM21 express the rotation and translation matrix from coordinate
separately according to certain angle, When take the system M2 to coordinate system M1, and then we can get the
photograph, the calibration tool is put vertically within the follows:
visual field of camera C1, after taking the photograph, the
calibration tool is put horizontally in front of cameras C1 and M1B = RM21 M2B + TM21 (9)
C2, and the two end of calibration tool must be within the According formula (7), the coordinate of M1B in the
visual field of camera C1 and C2, then you can continue take coordinate of camera C1, marked as C1B, the above formula can
photograph, shown as Figure 3. Because the two target boards also be express as follows:
are fixed in the same calibration pole, the relative position of
each other is fixed, through taking the steps above, the extrinsic C1B = R11 M1B + T11 (10)
parameters R21 , T21 of camera C1 and C2 can be calibrated.
By formula (8) and (10), we can get:
First, calibration tool will be put in within the visual field of
camera C1 as shown in Figure 3(a). Let's suppose: Any point in M1B = R11-1 R12 M2B + R11-1(T12 T11)
target board M1 is marked as A, and its coordinate in namely:
coordinate system of object M1 is marked as M1A, in coordinate
system of camera C1 is marked as C1A; any point in target RM21 = R11-1 R12, TM21 = R11-1(T12 T11) (11)
board M2 is marked as B, and its coordinate in coordinate Second, Figure 3(b) above, calibration tool will be placed
system of object M2 is marked as M2B, in coordinate system of within the visual field of camera C1 and C2. Lets suppose
object M1 is marked as M1B, in the coordinate system of camera another point B, and its coordinate in the coordinate system of
C1 is marked as C1B; and R11, T11, R12, T12 are rotation and camera C2 is marked as C2B. R1, T1, R2, T2 respectively mark the
translation matrix of camera C1s coordinate system relative to rotation and translation matrix of C1 relative to coordinate
the coordinate system of M1 and the coordinate system of M2 system M1, of C2 relative to coordinate system M2, and they
separately, and they can be calculated according the internal have been calculated according the internal parameters of the

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two cameras; extrinsic parameter R21 mark the rotating matrix
which is from C2s coordinate system to camera C1s
coordinate system, extrinsic parameters T21 mark translation
vectors which is from camera C2s coordinate system to camera
C1s coordinate system.
C1A = R1 M1A + T1
C2B = R2 M2B + T2
C1B =R21 C2B + T21
According to (12), (10), the coordinate of M1B in camera
C1s coordinate system, marked as C1B, can be expressed as
follows:
C1B = R1 M1B + T1
By (13), (15) and (9), we can get the follows:
C1B = R1 RM21R2-1 C2B + (R1 TM21 +T1 R1 RM21R2-1 T2)
Then
-1
R21 =R1 RM21R2 , T21 = R1 TM21 +T1 R1 RM21R2-1
By (11) and (16), the extrinsic parameters R21, T21 can be
calculated.
III. COMPARING OF DIFFERENT METHODS
In these three methods, the traditional method has few
steps, few errors, it is the most accurate methods; but it has
high requirement for the place of the cameras in the four-wheel
aligner, if we want use this method to get the public visual, we
need use a long beam, as a result the practical value is reduced
greatly. However, the two new methods have their advantages
respectively, as shown in Table 1.
limited greatly, the angle between the target board and the
camera is greater, then the error of identifying the center dot is
added, as a result it affect the accuracy of the two camera
calibration. This comparison shows that we can choose the best
calibration method from above two methods, according the
cameras quality, the calibration accuracy of single-camera,
(12) accuracy of identifying the center dot in the target board.
(13)
IV. CONCLUSION
(14)
According to the characters of 3D vision four-wheel aligner
for vehicle, this paper studies the calibration methods of two
cameras in vehicles four-wheel aligner based on 3D vision.
Through the comparison to the traditional calibration method,
(15) we find that though in theory the accuracy of the two
calibration methods is lower than the traditional calibration
method, in product reach and development there are better
prospects.
REFERENCES
T2 (16) [1] Gao li-tao,Tu ya-qing,Wang de-chao. A novel method of wheel
alignment parameters measurement based on computer vision[J].
Automation & Instrumentation, 2009,143(3):74-77.
[2] Zhang hui, Zhang li-yan, Cheng jiang, and Zhao zhuan-ping. Field
Calibration of Binocular Stereo System Based on Planar Template and
Free Snapping, Journal, Acta Aeronautica Et Astronautica Sinica, 2007,
28(3): 695-701.
[3] Hu yong, Wang cong-jun, and Huang shu-huai. Calibration Automation
of the Binocular Vision Sensor, Journal, Journal of Wu han University
of Technology, 2005, 27(10): 67-69.
[4] Zhang guang-jun. Machine Vision. Beijng: Science Press, 2005.

TABLE I. COMPARISIONS OF METHOD

Third camera transfer
calibration method
Calibration The third camera and
tool single target board
Requiremen The third camera must
ts of keep fixed during
calibration calibration process.
The calibration tool is
After sales easy to carry, and the
maintenance range that the third camera
can be placed is large.
The main
factor that
The calibration accuracy
affects the
of single camera
calibration
accuracy
Single pole and double
board calibration method
Single pole and double
board calibration tool
The calibration tool must
keep fixed.
The calibration tool need
be assembled together, and
the range that the tool can
be placed is small.
The identifying accuracy
of center dot in the flat
target board

According Table 1, we can the tool of the third camera

transfer calibration method is easy to carry, it is useful for
after-sales service of the product, but it depends the third
camera, the accuracy of the third camera can affect the
calibration result of the two cameras extrinsic parameters
directly. The single pole and one board calibration method
neednt add another camera, the factor that can affect the
accuracy of the calibration is equivalent to traditional methods,
but because the range that the calibration tool can placed is

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