A Mobile Augmented Reality System for the Real-Time Visualization of Pipes in Point Cloud Data with a Depth Sensor

Augmented reality (AR) is a useful visualization technology that displays information by adding virtual images to the real world. In AR systems that require three-dimensional information, point cloud data is easy to use after real-time acquisition, however, it is difficult to measure and visualize real-time objects due to the large amount of data and a matching process. In this paper we explored a method of estimating pipes from point cloud data and visualizing them in real-time through augmented reality devices. In general, pipe estimation in a point cloud uses a Hough transform and is performed through a preprocessing process, such as noise filtering, normal estimation, or segmentation. However, there is a disadvantage in that the execution time is slow due to a large amount of computation. Therefore, for the real-time visualization in augmented reality devices, the fast cylinder matching method using random sample consensus (RANSAC) is required. In this paper, we proposed parallel processing, multiple frames, adjustable scale, and error correction for real-time visualization. The real-time visualization method through the augmented reality device obtained a depth image from the sensor and configured a uniform point cloud using a voxel grid algorithm. The constructed data was analyzed according to the fast cylinder matching method using RANSAC. The real-time visualization method through augmented reality devices is expected to be used to identify problems, such as the sagging of pipes, through real-time measurements at plant sites due to the spread of various AR devices.