Mobile digital cameras for as-built surveys of roadside features

A method for determining the three-dimensional locations of roadside features appearing on multiple sequential images captured using a mobile video-logging system without any ground control is described. The digital camera was calibrated using a special three-dimensional calibration range and Calib software to simultaneously determine the interior and exterior orientation elements on a local system. The software was then used to determine the local three-dimensional coordinates of roadside features using the sequential imagery from the mobile video-logging system captured along a highway at highway speed. The relative locations were transformed to the absolute locations using the locations of the camera's exposure stations from the Global Positioning System. The relative accuracy of the locations obtained was 5 cm, and absolute accuracy using the code phase kinematic Global Positioning System was 2 m. This paper also shows the two-dimensional geographic information system, three-dimensional geographic information system, and virtual reality created for three test sites using the imagery from the mobile video-logging system.