Line-of-sight-based ToF camera's range image filtering for precise 3D scene reconstruction

A new method to filter jump edges in the range images produced from Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera is described, implemented and evaluated. SwissRanger camera like any other ToF camera have systematic and non-systematic errors. Systematic errors are predictable and can often be removed by calibration, whereas non-systematic are unpredictable and removed by applying filters. Jump edges are non-systematic errors which are seen as smooth often irregular sigmoid shape or curved transition between two surfaces. A new method which removes the jump edges has been proposed and compared with another method which is most cited and used. The comparison is based on the quality of filtered image, computation time for filtering and also its impact on registration of successive scans and reconstruction of the whole scene.