3D Camera Accuracy on Metallic Surfaces

abel

Hello,

I am about to take on a project where I need to estimate the volume of piles of small metal pieces. The idea is to use Luxonis 3D cameras. These are large piles, approximately 10x10 meters in the XY plane. The camera would be positioned overhead with no height limitations. My main concern, besides the large dimensions of the workspace, is the effect of the laser on metallic surfaces.

Has anyone worked with or has some experience working with metals and 3D cameras? My experience tells me that a laser (around 700 nm wavelength) might reflect off the surface and not return to the sensor, which could result in noise in the captured image, reducing precision.

Any similar experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance. Best regards.

jakaskerl

abel
Depends on the size of these pieces and their reflectivity.

We've done some tests in the past where the object was reflective:

The oak-d pro had dot projector (940nm) turned on to enable active stereo depth.

If the metal pieces are small, as to introduce a random texture, the depth should be very good. If they are very homogeneous, the stereo matching might have some problems which likely can't be fixed even by a dot projector.

Thanks,
Jaka