The Accuracy of Photo-Based Three-Dimensional Scanning for Collision Reconstruction Using 123D Catch

An experiment was conducted to examine the validity of freely available photo-based 3D scanning software for generating accurate 3D geometry of a vehicle. Currently, 3D vehicle geometry is routinely captured using total station survey equipment, coordinate measuring machines (CMM), laser scanning, or traditional point-based photogrammetry. While these methods produce sufficiently accurate results for collision reconstruction, they have limitations that can affect practical implementation. For example, manual surveying with a total station, CMM or traditional photogrammetry are all limited to the production of coordinate data at discrete, predefined points. In addition, total stations, CMMs and laser scanning devices are also expensive and require a significant amount of time in the field with the vehicle. In contrast, photo-based 3D scanning allows a 3D mesh to be created of a vehicle simply from a series of photographs using a consumergrade digital camera. ABSTRACT