A Simple Algebraic Solution for Estimating the Pose of a Camera from Planar Point Features

TL;DR

This paper introduces a straightforward algebraic approach for estimating a camera's pose relative to a planar target using at least four reference points, enhancing robustness with an averaging technique validated through experiments.

Contribution

It presents a novel, simple algebraic method for camera pose estimation from planar point features, including a noise-robust averaging refinement.

Findings

Method accurately estimates camera pose from planar points.

Robustness improved with averaging technique.

Validated through extensive experiments.

Abstract

This paper presents a simple algebraic method to estimate the pose of a camera relative to a planar target from $n \geq 4$ reference points with known coordinates in the target frame and their corresponding bearing measurements in the camera frame. The proposed approach follows a hierarchical structure; first, the unit vector normal to the target plane is determined, followed by the camera's position vector, its distance to the target plane, and finally, the full orientation. To improve the method's robustness to measurement noise, an averaging methodology is introduced to refine the estimation of the target's normal direction. The accuracy and robustness of the approach are validated through extensive experiments.