Analysis of Dual-Sensor Stereo Geometry and Its Positioning Accuracy

Abstract

This research investigated the positioning accuracy and imaging geometry of dual-sensor stereo pairs in comparison with those of conventional single-sensor stereo pairs. First, we discuss the difference between single- and dual-sensor stereo geometry and suggest that bisector elevation (BIE) and asymmetry angle, in addition to convergence angle, are important considerations for interpreting dual-sensor stereo geometry. We point out that for single-sensor BIE angles and asymmetry angles are close to ideal values, and their importance has not been highlighted. We show that dual-sensor stereo may produce small BIE angles and large asymmetry angles, and such angles may lead to weak geometry and accuracy degradation of dual-sensor stereo. Second, we compare rigorous sensor models (RSMs) with rational function models (RFMs) for handling dual-sensor stereo. For stable dual-sensor stereo, both models show similar performance. However, for dual-sensor stereo with weak geometry, RSMs produce better positioning accuracies than RFMs.