A Comparison of Precision and Accuracy in Triangulation Laser Range Scanners

Precision and accuracy-based models for well-calibrated time-of-flight-based laser range scanners can be assumed to agree; however, this is not the case for triangulation-based laser range scanners. We show that the accuracy model for a triangulation laser range scanner features a skewed distribution even if the precision model is assumed to follow a Gaussian distribution. This is because the magnitude of the sensor uncertainty for any given measurement is a function of range which violates the assumption of identical distribution. We demonstrate, using a simulation, that this effect should be able to be detected using a properly-designed experiment. Future work will involve applying the test protocol to a real laser range scanner