A New Two-Step Calibration Method for Structured Light Systems Using Block Gages

Abstract

The calibration process is a crucial step for measuring systems due to their inherent errors and tendency to drift over time. Block gages are one of the most widely used calibrators. Advanced optical systems are continuously being developed to cope with the challenge of reconstructing different object dimensions with minimum error, cost, and time. In the present study, a two-step calibration method for structured light systems (SLSs) is proposed. A calibration pattern and set of stepped block gages are used to calibrate the SLS in the first and second steps respectively. Using block gages opens the prospects for SLSs to be more widely used in several metrological applications. The calibration curve for a SLS is obtained using the proposed method. The proposed calibration method was validated by reconstructing a test object and evaluating its size. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Using the proposed calibration method, measurement error was significantly reduced by 71%.