Motion and Navigation Products

Acuity develops and sells navigation and motion measurement systems for use in land, water, and air vehicles. These combine inertial accelerometers and gyroscopes with magnetic, air pressure, and video sensors to navigate in enclosed and outdoor environments. The systems may be used for guidance and navigation on robots and robotic vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, watercraft, and cars, and in virtual reality and augmented reality systems. Please note that Acuity's equipment is not yet FAA certified for use in commercial aviation and manned aircraft.

IM-360 Miniature Solid State Inertial Measurement Unit

AH-360 Attitude and Heading Reference System with Linear Motion (also Vertical Gyro mode)

 

3D Imaging Products

Acuity produces systems for surface profile and shape capture and three dimensional environment capture. The technologies used include video based systems as well as laser rangefinding. These products are used for navigation and path planning in autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance, industrial as-built plant modeling, building and civil engineering structural recording for upgrades and remodeling, and for virtual reality environment and object capture. by combining inertial, video, and laser technologies, Acuity offers solutions for static and moving platform 3D capture requirements.

SRI-500 Scanning Rangefinding Imager with Inertial Image Stabilization

 

Introduction Fall 2007

3D Structured Light Photogrammetry Camera

Acuity is developing a versatile 3D camera for marketing, animation, industrial and commercial shape capture applications. This camera will automate the shape acquisition process for non-specialist use. Until now, the acquisition of over a million or more 3D points with realistic color has been an extended process requiring expensive equipment and professional operators.

Precision photogrammetry has traditionally required placement of recognizable targets on surfaces to be profiled. Previous structured light shape acquisition cameras have required precise placement of the projector and camera. Both have been limited in their ability to acquire color and accurately represent shiny surfaces. Acuity's new camera uses optical surface characterization together with sophisticated pattern projection to substantially extend the nature and complexity of objects that may be profiled.

Photgraph, 3D Model, and Color Coded profile of Aircraft Skin Section with 22X Vertical Magnification

Key Features

  • Captures shape, color and surface specularity (shininess) information for realistic presentation of models in simulated lighting.
  • Allows free placement of the camera and projector, for capture of large, small, and complex objects.
  • Captures up to 1 million 3D points per view. Multiple views may be captured and combined for higher resolution.
  • Freezes motion in three dimensions. Allows analysis of complex transient and vibratory behavior by capturing full resolution motion snapshots with sub-microsecond exposure times.
  • Full field of view (object size) from 3 inches to 30 feet in extent. With higher projector power options this can be increased to over 100 feet.
  • Point position resolution of 1 part in 10,000, with accuracy of better than .0005 inches on small objects.
  • Automatic exposure and projector control for easy operation.

Introduction 2008

3D Environment Capture Video Camera

When humans move and observe, they combine information from the eyes and inner ears to form a mental world model using perception of linear and angular motion as well as visual images. Advances in projective geometry, position estimates from inertial and magnetic sensors, and rigid body kinematics can be fused to provide a powerful new way of effectively generating complete 3D models from video. Inertial data and camera kinematics can be used with video imagery to increase the number of image points that can be related across multiple views, increase the accuracy with which the points can be related, identify views (video frames) that will efficiently produce a world model, allow software to combine world model fragments, and interpret and capture surfaces and regions as well as edges and vertices in a complete world model.

Acuity led a DARPA/AAMCOM sponsored development contract to realize the capabilities possible with these components. This demonstrated the concept of simultaneous video and inertial data. Acuity is currently developing and integrating hardware and software to realize a practical system for navigation and environment capture with freely moving cameras.

Views of Road and Buildings Reconstructed From an Overflight Video
2 Meter Human Stack Added for Scale