CAMERA CALIBRATION IN 3D MODELLING FOR UAV APPLICATION

Abstract. In recent times, small types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been receiving attention in areas such as 3D modelling, maintenance engineering, and personal interest (hobby) usage. However, the payload a small type of UAV is able to carry is limited. Given these circumstances, small consumer grade digital cameras are often used for UAV photogrammetry with small types of UAV. Though, digital photogrammetry using the consumer grade cameras is enormously expected in various application fields such as UAV photogrammetry.

There is a large body of literature on camera calibration. However, the lens distortion of small consumer grade digital cameras is still an issue from the viewpoint of accuracy aspect.

The authors have been investigating camera calibration using various cameras. However, small consumer grade digital cameras, which is called as entry-cameras, have an accuracy degradation problem. The issue was addressed by conducting calibration tests using two kinds of consumer grade digital cameras, each with a resolution of 12 mega pixels. This paper presents the results of an investigation into the cause of accuracy degradation in digital photogrammetry using entry-cameras.