Active range sensing for indoor environment modeling

This paper investigates modeling indoor environments using a low-cost, compact, active-range camera, known as BIRIS, mounted onto a pan and tilt motor unit. The BIRIS sensor, developed at the National Research Council of Canada, is a rugged small camera with no moving parts. The objectives of this paper are to describe and demonstrate the viability of the use of a low-cost range sensor in the domain of indoor environment modeling; to present the results of processing three-dimensional (3-D) data to build a virtual environment for navigation and visualization; and, to analyze and outline the advantages and limitations encountered when scanning large indoor environments.