STEREOSCOPIC VISION USING LINE-SCAN SENSORS 
    
  
  
S.X.Godber, M.Robinson, P.Evans 
3D Imaging Group 
Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering 
Nottingham Polytechnic 
Newton Building 
Burton Street 
Nottingham 
NG1 4BU 
England 
ABSTRACT: 
This paper describes the continuing research into the development of stereoscopic vision systems 
based on the line-scan camera. Results from earlier work in this area established the ability to use 
such devices in a stereoscopic arrangement to resolve three-dimensional co-ordinate information 
from a moving object volume. These early systems used lateral motion of the object to allow the 
line-scan camera to produce two-dimensional images. 
At present the emphasis of the research has moved on and is now concentrating on using the 
line-scan device and rotational movement to produce both two- and three-dimensional images. 
Initial results indicate that these images are more difficult to understand but provide useful 
information from a potential 360 degree panoramic view. 
KEY WORDS: Line-scan cameras, stereo, rotation, variable field of view. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
1.1 Line-scan cameras — The present position 
The line-scan, or linear array, sensor has been 
widely used in industrial inspection and 
measurement applications for a number of years. 
These have board 
inspection! » 2, film registration“, and the 
included printed circuit 
two-dimensional gauging of object dimensions* . 5. 
In the majority of these applications movement is 
inherent in the manufacturing process, and this, 
when used in conjunction with a line-scan camera 
system, can produce two-dimensional images. 
The main advantages of line-scan systems over 
standard television type camera arrangements can 
be identified as: 
i. higher resolution sensors with up to 
4096 picture elements are widely 
     
avallable; 
ii. line-scan camera synchronisation can 
be determined by the application and 
not locked to any particular standard as 
with television type cameras, and; 
ili. object motion, inherent in most 
manufacturing applications, can be used 
with line-scan sensors to generate 
two—dimensional images. 
Disadvantages include: 
i. additional hardware and software is 
needed to allow the operator to view a 
two—dimensional image; 
ii. and the need for this hardware to be 
specially designed for the line-scan 
device.