Provided is a vision sensing device including a housing, a camera, a laser pattern generator, an inertial measurement unit, and at least one processor configured to project a laser pattern within the field of view of the camera, capture inertial data from the inertial measurement unit as a user moves the housing, capture visual data from the field of view with the camera as the user moves the housing, capture depth data with the laser pattern generator as the user moves the housing, and generate an RGB-D point cloud based on the visual data, the inertial data, and the depth data.

Provided is a vision sensing device including a housing, a camera, a laser pattern generator, an inertial measurement unit, and at least one processor configured to project a laser pattern within the field of view of the camera, capture inertial data from the inertial measurement unit as a user moves the housing, capture visual data from the field of view with the camera as the user moves the housing, capture depth data with the laser pattern generator as the user moves the housing, and generate an RGB-D point cloud based on the visual data, the inertial data, and the depth data.

A method of detecting and localizing a coupler of a trailer hitch associated with a trailer positioned behind a tow vehicle is provided. The method includes determining a region of interest within images from a rear camera. The region of interest includes a representation of the trailer hitch. The method includes determining a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud representing objects inside the region of interest. The method includes determining a camera plane based on the images. The method includes projecting the cloud points onto the camera plane and determining a coupler location based on the projected cloud points onto the camera plane. The method includes determining a path based on the coupler location. The path ending when the tow vehicle is attached to the trailer. The method also includes sending instructions to a drive system causing the tow vehicle to autonomously drive in a rearward direction along the path.

One aspect of the invention relates to a fully automatic method for calculating the current, geo-referenced position and alignment of a terrestrial scan-surveying device in situ on the basis of a current panoramic image recorded by the surveying device and at least one stored, geo-referenced 3D scan panoramic image.

One aspect of the invention relates to a fully automatic method for calculating the current, geo-referenced position and alignment of a terrestrial scan-surveying device in situ on the basis of a current panoramic image recorded by the surveying device and at least one stored, geo-referenced 3D scan panoramic image.

A method of aligning a tow vehicle with a trailer positioned behind the tow vehicle is provided. The method includes determining a point cloud map of a rear environment of the tow vehicle. The rear environment includes the trailer. The method also includes determining a front face plane of the trailer based on the point cloud map. The method also includes determining a normal line of the front face plane. The method also includes determining a path from the tow vehicle to the trailer such that a fore-aft axis of the tow vehicle is aligned with the normal line of the front face plane.

According to some embodiments, a system, method and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided comprising an imagery data source storing image data from a plurality of images; a ground point module; a memory storing program instructions; and a ground point processor, coupled to the memory, and in communication with the ground point module and operative to execute the program instructions to: receive image data for an area of interest (AOI); generate a digital surface map from the received image data, wherein the digital surface map includes an elevation value for each of a plurality of points on the digital surface map; generate a ground point sampling based on the elevation values for the plurality of points on the digital surface map; generate an image boundary sampling based on elevation values for the plurality of points along a plurality of edges of the area of interest; and interpolate the generated ground point sampling and the image boundary sampling to generate a digital terrain map. Numerous other aspects are provided.

According to some embodiments, a system, method and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided comprising an imagery data source storing image data from a plurality of images; a ground point module; a memory storing program instructions; and a ground point processor, coupled to the memory, and in communication with the ground point module and operative to execute the program instructions to: receive image data for an area of interest (AOI); generate a digital surface map from the received image data, wherein the digital surface map includes an elevation value for each of a plurality of points on the digital surface map; generate a ground point sampling based on the elevation values for the plurality of points on the digital surface map; generate an image boundary sampling based on elevation values for the plurality of points along a plurality of edges of the area of interest; and interpolate the generated ground point sampling and the image boundary sampling to generate a digital terrain map. Numerous other aspects are provided.

An example welding system includes: a visual acquisition system comprising an imaging device and configured to acquire a visual representation of a weld part and to convert the visual representation into data representative of weld part features; and a part recognition component comprising processing circuitry configured to: receive the digital data; identify one or more features of the weld part in response to receipt of the digital signal; compare the digital signal to stored data of a plurality of weld parts stored in a weld part database to match one or more identified features to a known weld part of the plurality of weld parts stored in the weld part database; identify weld settings stored in a weld parameter database associated with the matching known weld part of the plurality of weld parts stored in the weld part database; and send the weld settings to a welding power supply.

An example welding system includes: a visual acquisition system comprising an imaging device and configured to acquire a visual representation of a weld part and to convert the visual representation into data representative of weld part features; and a part recognition component comprising processing circuitry configured to: receive the digital data; identify one or more features of the weld part in response to receipt of the digital signal; compare the digital signal to stored data of a plurality of weld parts stored in a weld part database to match one or more identified features to a known weld part of the plurality of weld parts stored in the weld part database; identify weld settings stored in a weld parameter database associated with the matching known weld part of the plurality of weld parts stored in the weld part database; and send the weld settings to a welding power supply.