Calibration of Multi-camera Systems Using Planar Patterns

A new calibration algorithm for multi-camera systems using planar reference patterns is proposed. The algorithm is an extension of Zhang’s flexible calibration technique to the cases with multiple cameras. Rigid displacements between cameras are recovered as well as intrinsic camera parameters only by showing the cameras a model plane with known reference patterns placed at several locations. Thus the algorithm yields a simle calibration means for stereo vision systems with arbitrary number of cameras while maintaining the handiness and flexibility of Zhang’s method. The algorithm is based on factorization of homographies between the model plane and the image plane into camera and plane parameters. The validity of the proposed technique is verified by simulation and real experiments.