An efficient surface registration using smartphone

Gathering 3D object information from the multiple spatial viewpoints typically brings up the problem of surface registration. More precisely, registration is used to fuse 3D data originally acquired from different viewpoints into a common coordinate system. This step often requires the use of relatively bulky and expensive robot arms (turntables) or presents a very challenging problem if constrained to software solutions. In this paper we present a novel surface registration method, motivated by an efficient and user-friendly implementation. Our system is inspired by the idea that three out of generally six registration parameters (degrees of freedom) can be provided in advance, at least to some degree of accuracy, by today’s smartphones. Experimental evaluations demonstrated the successful point cloud registrations of ∼ 10,000 points in a matter of seconds. The evaluation included comparison with state-of-the-art descriptor methods. The method’s robustness was also studied and the results using 3D data from a professional scanner showed the potential for real-world applications.