Geometric camery calibration: The virtual camera approach

Accurate dimensional measurements made with TV cameras require a careful geometric calibration of the imaging device. This work presents a new calibration approach that makes use of the virtual camera paradigm, in which a calibrated surface (target) plays the role of the image plane of a distortionless, fictitious camera. The method yields a simple closed form solution for the calibration parameters. We use an error analysis to estimate the influence of the calibration set-up on the angular measures. We use simulation to verify the analysis. The results of experimental tests are also reported, indicating good accuracy of the proposed procedure compared to some of the best-known calibration methods.