A Methodology for Using Reality Capture in Vehicle Accident Reconstruction’
2022-01-0997
03/29/2022
- Event
- Content
- Laser scanners are typically used in vehicle accident reconstruction to measure roadway details; however, laser scans used near congested roadways digitize unwanted passing vehicles and produce a scan with noisy and poor image quality point clouds. On the other hand, drone images are unable to capture reflective objects and can struggle with vertical surfaces when creating 3D mesh for analysis. Prior research has tested the accuracy of drone-captured images processed with commercially available AgiSoft and Pixi4D software; however, a research gap still exists in examining the use of RealityCapture with drone images, FARO scans, and AeroPoint Ground Targets for use in accident reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to define a procedure and methodology for combining the ability of laser scans to capture vertical details that drones cannot with the color and roadway details of drone imagery not otherwise captured by FARO. It will be shown that this methodology is superior in accuracy and aesthetics to using either FARO or drone imagery alone. Processing drone images with RealityCapture in conjunction with FARO scans maximized the best attributes offered by both technologies. The use of AeroPoints additionally orientated and provided an additional level of accuracy to the mapping of accident scenes. This methodology can be useful to accident reconstructionists in that it provides high-quality 3D mesh and can improve the accuracy of their analysis.
- Citation
- Vega, H., Suway, J., Desai, E., and Engleman, K., "A Methodology for Using Reality Capture in Vehicle Accident Reconstruction’," SAE Technical Paper 2022-01-0997, 2022, .