Comparison of Methods for Geometric Camera Calibration using Planar Calibration Targets

The quest for the best solution to the geometrical camera calibration problem is ongoing up to the present. For simplicity and good adaptivity to the pinhole model many methods use sets of co-planar fiducial points. In this paper we do not invent a new technique, but investigate and describe major and minor differences of three most widely used plane-based calibration algorithms. Formulation and computation differ in their way of implementation, but also in the mathematical substance. As we could prove, each of the presented method is capable of delivering reliable results on the intrinsic camera parameters of our specific setup in the lab. We can also make a statement about which calibration method is favorable for specific configurations and which is not. A representative table of test results is given, which substantiates our argumentation.