The Boeing Company
Three dimensional model generation using heterogeneous 2D and 3D sensor fusion

Abstract:

A method for generating a 3D model point cloud of an object includes capturing a 2D image of the object and a 3D image of the object. The 3D image of the object includes a point cloud. The point cloud includes a multiplicity of points and includes a plurality of missing points or holes in the point cloud. The method additionally includes generating an upsampled 3D point cloud from the 3D image using local entropy data of the 2D image to fill at least some missing points or holes in the point cloud and merging a model point cloud from a previous viewpoint or location of a sensor platform and the upsampled 3D point cloud to create a new 3D model point cloud. The method further includes quantizing the new 3D point cloud to generate an updated 3D model point cloud.