Three-dimensional distance measurement apparatus and method therefor

Abstract

A three-dimensional imaging unit includes a plurality of image pickup devices that image an image and a rotation drive device which rotates the image pickup devices and adjusts optical axes such that reflections of an object to be measured in a space to be measured have a predetermined amount of overlap. An association calculating unit calculates position association information of pixels when a required measurement point is mapped onto a plurality of images. A three-dimensional shape calculating unit calculates a three-dimensional shape of the object to be measured using the position association information and rotational information of the rotation drive device. A three-dimensional shape estimation calculating unit estimates, from the three-dimensional shape, a three-dimensional shape of a region of the object to be measured where the three-dimensional shape is not obtained. A three-dimensional measurement coordinates calculating unit calculates, from an estimation result, three-dimensional coordinates of two distance measurement points designated on the object to be measured. A distance calculating unit calculates a distance between the two points using the three-dimensional coordinates.