The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile maintenance and device demarcation, and discloses a device and a method for demarcating a center line of an automobile body, the demarcation device including a holder apparatus and a laser. The holder apparatus includes a horizontal scale, and the laser is installed on the automobile body and is configured to emit a laser beam to the horizontal scale. According to the device for demarcating a center line of an automobile body, the lasers may be installed on wheels on both sides of an automobile, two laser beams equidistantly emitted using the wheels as reference points irradiate at the horizontal scale, and the holder apparatus may be moved to an appropriate position according to a graduation of the horizontal scale, thereby facilitating demarcation of the center line of the automobile.

A support structure having a vertical element supporting a set of cameras associated with a vehicle measurement or inspection system together with at least one target structure required for realignment or recalibration of onboard vehicle safety system sensors. A camera crossbeam carried by the support structure locates the set of cameras as required to view a vehicle undergoing measurement or inspection. The target structure is affixed to the vertical element of the support structure, at an elevation suitable for observation by at least one vehicle onboard sensors during a realignment or recalibration procedure. A set of rollers facilitates positioning of the target structure on a supporting floor surface during a realignment or recalibration procedure.

A sensor calibration system includes a calibration tool with a vertical rail defining a first axis, and two carriage assemblies. One carriage assembly is supported by the vertical rail, movable along the first axis, and has a horizontal rail defining a second axis transverse to the first axis. Another carriage assembly is coupled to the horizontal rail, and has a transverse mounting bar with a plurality of target mounts, each target mount configured to releasably support a respective calibration target.

A wheel alignment system includes a side-to-side reference including an active reference pod and a passive reference pod disposed on opposite sides of the vehicle. The active reference pod includes a reference image sensor fixedly attached to a reference target, for mounting on a first side of the vehicle such that the reference image sensor produces image data including a perspective representation of the passive reference pod disposed on a second/opposite side of the vehicle. In operation, alignment cameras on the opposite sides of the vehicle capture perspective representations of targets mounted to vehicle wheels and of targets of the active and passive reference pods. A computer processes the image data to compute an alignment measurement of the vehicle based on a spatial relationship between the active reference pod and the passive reference pod determined according to the image data produced by the reference image sensor.

A sensor calibration tool, in particular for calibrating sensors on a vehicle, includes a vertical rail defining a first axis, and first and second carriage assemblies. The first carriage assembly is supported by the vertical rail, movable along the first axis, and has a horizontal rail defining a second axis transverse to the first axis. The second carriage assembly is supported by the horizontal rail, movable along the second, and has a target mount that releasably supports a calibration target. A calibration tool includes a horizontal rail defining a first axis, a first carriage assembly movable along the first axis, a mounting bar defining a second axis and pivotable about a pivot axis transverse to the first and second axes, and a target mount positioned on the mounting bar. The first carriage assembly and the mounting bar move independently.

A vehicle wheel alignment system has a plurality of cameras, each camera for viewing a respective target disposed at a respective wheel of the vehicle and capturing image data of the target as the wheel and target are continuously rotated a number of degrees of rotation without a pause. The image data is used to calculate a minimum number of poses of the target of at least one pose for every five degrees of rotation as the wheel and target are continuously rotated the number of degrees of rotation without a pause. At least one of the cameras comprises a data processor for performing the steps of preprocessing the image data, and calculating an alignment parameter for the vehicle based on the preprocessed image data.

A mobile system and method of calibrating an ADAS sensor of a vehicle by aligning a target with the sensor, where a transport vehicle is equipped with a target adjustment stand for transporting to the vehicle, which is initially nominally positioned in front of the target adjustment stand that includes a movable target mount configured to support a target, with the target adjustment stand including one or more actuators for adjusting the position of the target mount. A computer system is used to determine an orientation of the vehicle relative to the target adjustment stand, with the position of the target mount being adjusted based on the determined orientation of the vehicle relative to the target adjustment stand. Upon properly orienting the target mount, and the target supported thereon, a calibration routine is performed whereby the sensor is calibrated using the target.

A support structure having a vertical element supporting a set of cameras associated with a vehicle measurement or inspection system together with at least one target structure required for realignment or recalibration of onboard vehicle safety system sensors. A camera crossbeam carried by the support structure locates the set of cameras as required to view a vehicle undergoing measurement or inspection. The target structure is affixed to the vertical element of the support structure, at an elevation suitable for observation by at least one vehicle onboard sensors during a realignment or recalibration procedure. A set of rollers facilitates positioning of the target structure on a supporting floor surface during a realignment or recalibration procedure.

A sensor calibration tool, in particular for calibrating sensors on a vehicle, includes a vertical rail defining a first axis, and first and second carriage assemblies. The first carriage assembly is supported by the vertical rail, movable along the first axis, and has a horizontal rail defining a second axis transverse to the first axis. The second carriage assembly is supported by the horizontal rail, movable along the second, and has a target mount that releasably supports a calibration target. A calibration tool includes a horizontal rail defining a first axis, a first carriage assembly movable along the first axis, a mounting bar defining a second axis and pivotable about a pivot axis transverse to the first and second axes, and a target mount positioned on the mounting bar. The first carriage assembly and the mounting bar move independently.

Vehicle alignment systems and methods are disclosed which operate based on a calculation of drive direction, or the direction in which a vehicle is moving. Since a vehicle can be assumed to be a rigid body, each wheel has the same drive direction. Consequently, an alignment parameter of one wheel can be compared to the same parameter of another wheel by equating their drive direction, eliminating the need for the aligner to see both sides of the vehicle at the same time. Embodiments include a system having one or more cameras on a fixture carrying a calibration element for an ADAS system, and one or more targets placed on the vehicle to measure the drive direction of the vehicle. The drive direction is assumed to be parallel to the vehicle thrust line and can be used as the line for orientation of the fixture to the vehicle.