3-D data acquisition for indoor environment modeling using a compact active range sensor

This paper investigates modeling indoor environments using a low-cost compact active range camera, known as BIRIS, mounted onto a pan and tilt motor unit. The BIRIS sensor, developed at the National Research Council of Canada, is a rugged small camera with no moving parts. The contributions of this paper are mainly in three areas: it demonstrates the viability of the use of a low-cost range sensor in the domain of indoor environment modeling; it presents the results of processing 3-D data to build a virtual environment for navigation and visualization; and, it analyses and outlines the advantages and limitations encountered when scanning large indoor environments.