Collimator-assisted high-precision calibration method for event cameras

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel collimator-assisted calibration method for event cameras that achieves high-precision geometric calibration, especially suitable for long-range measurements, outperforming existing methods in accuracy and reliability.

Contribution

The paper presents a new calibration approach using a collimator with flickering star patterns, combining linear and nonlinear optimization for improved accuracy in event camera calibration.

Findings

Outperforms existing calibration methods in accuracy

Effective for long-distance measurement scenarios

Demonstrates high reliability across various conditions

Abstract

Event cameras are a new type of brain-inspired visual sensor with advantages such as high dynamic range and high temporal resolution. The geometric calibration of event cameras, which involves determining their intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, particularly in long-range measurement scenarios, remains a significant challenge. To address the dual requirements of long-distance and high-precision measurement, we propose an event camera calibration method utilizing a collimator with flickering star-based patterns. The proposed method first linearly solves camera parameters using the sphere motion model of the collimator, followed by nonlinear optimization to refine these parameters with high precision. Through comprehensive real-world experiments across varying conditions, we demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms existing event camera calibration methods in terms of accuracy and reliability.