Verification of Stereo Camera Calibration using Laser Stripers for a Lunar Micro-Rover

Abstract

Despite advancements in LiDAR technology, stereo cameras are still preferred for space applications [1], due to heritage and advantages in weight, power, and
complexity of moving parts. The accuracy of stereo vision systems is affected by their calibration and even a small change in the position or orientation, for example from vibration or thermal expansion, can cause significant errors in feature matching or distance estimation. These errors can lead to the failure to identify obstacles and potentially the mission. Elaborate effort is taken to calibrate these systems under various settings before launch [3]. It is essential to ensure that the calibration parameters still hold after deployment on a planetary surface. However this is not an easy task due to the procedures and fixtures needed in the process. In this work, we develop a method to verify the stereo calibration in situ using associated stereo pixels produced by a line striping laser. We also show the sensitivity of the pixel associations to the estimated measurements in simulation.