PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE

SPIEDigitalLibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie

Correction of circular center deviation

in perspective projection

Dong He, Xiaoli Liu, Yongkai Yin, Ameng Li, Xiang

Peng

Dong He, Xiaoli Liu, Yongkai Yin, Ameng Li, Xiang Peng, "Correction of
circular center deviation in perspective projection," Proc. SPIE 8499,
Applications of Digital Image Processing XXXV, 84991V (15 October 2012);
doi: 10.1117/12.928171

Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2012, San Diego, California,

United States

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018 Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use

 Correction of Circular Center Deviation in Perspective Projection
Dong He a, Xiaoli Liu a, Yongkai Yin a, Ameng Li a Xiang Peng a
a
College of Optoelectronics Engineering, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of
Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China, 518060

ABSTRACT

Circular targets are widely used in machine vision. The localization of circle center plays a crucial role in machine vision
applications. In the process of camera imaging, the circles change to the ellipses in the image plane of camera because of
perspective transformation. The center of ellipse usually does not coincide with the projected center of the circle, leading
to a deviation of circle center. Based on perspective transformation and analytic geometry we present a new approach, in
which the concentric circular targets are adopted and the true projective position of the circular target can be determined
accurately. Both simulation and experiment results show that the proposed method is valid and robust. The true positions
of the circular centers can be localized by proposed method without the center deviations.
Keywords: Locating of circle center, circle center deviation, perspective projection, image processing, machine vision

1. INTRODUCTION
Circular targets are widely used in the binocular stereo vision and 3D optical measurement [1] [2]. It often needs to
accurately obtain the true projective position of the circular centre. But in practice, the projection circular centre in image
plane is replaced with the centre of ellipse which is the image of the circular targets. But the camera imaging process is
the perspective projection transformation; the centre of circular target image (usually an ellipse) and the centre of
projection of circular target commonly are not overlapped [3], as shown in Figure 1. Simply, through the camera
perspective projection transformation the circular target becomes the ellipse in image plane, but the centre of the ellipse
and the projection of the circular center in the image plane dose not overlap. The difference named eccentricity errors
will bring system error.

b\

ipbzs

I,r.oloqroa o
CiC1s1 CsulcL

Crwn¡sr
oL gprbzs
OAlsct b1giR

Figure 1. Circle center deviation

In order to compensate the eccentricity error, many researchers have done extensive studies in the past few years. Based
on 3D analytic geometry, Heikkla [4] analyzed the cause of the eccentricity errors, exposed the mathematical formulation
of the problem, and showed correction of the eccentricity error in camera calibration. Aha [5] analyzed the eccentricity
errors from perspective projection transformation property and geometric characteristics of ellipses, and he got explicit


xpeng@szu.edu.cn; phone 86 755 26538548; fax 86 755 26538580

Applications of Digital Image Processing XXXV, edited by Andrew G. Tescher, Proc. of SPIE
Vol. 8499, 84991V · © 2012 SPIE · CCC code: 0277-786/12/$18 · doi: 10.1117/12.928171

Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8499 84991V-1

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018
Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use
 formulation of the eccentricity error in the image. From the explicit formulation we can clearly note the factors which
affect the error. Based on established mathematical formulation, through computer simulations, Zhang [6] had brilliant
exposures on the relation between the eccentricity errors and many different factors (such as the size of circular targets,
shooting angle and distance). In this paper we research Aha’s formulation, get the fact that the eccentricity error is
proportional to squared radius of the circular target in the most case. Based on the fact we propose a novel correction
algorithm for the error. In order to expound the theoretical basis of our new algorithm, section 2 shortly introduces the
error analysis based on conclusions of Aha. Section 3 clearly shows the method which adopts concentric circles to
conveniently and linearly correct the eccentricity error. Section 4 and Section 5 prove the correction method is effective
and robust through the computer simulations and experiment.

2. ERROR FORMULA
To analyze the eccentricity error in image plane, comparing with Ahn’s model, similar but simpler coordinate systems of
the perspective transformation is adopting in this paper. In the coordinate systems the circular target is set on the plane
YwZw_O, the position of its centre is C(xp, 0, 0). Both the origin Oc of camera coordinate system and origin H of image
coordinate are in the plane YwZw_O, and the distance between them is marked as d. u’ axis and v’ axis of image
coordinate are separately parallel with xc axis and yc of camera coordinate system. As shown in Figure 2.

Zit(Np)
A

Y
Object Plan
(XwYw O)

Figure 2. Coordinate systems in the perspective transformation

The derivation process of the error formulas as follows:
Step.1 Get true projected image point of the centre of the circle.
As the coordinate systems in Figure 2, the world coordinate can be transformed into the camera coordinate with shifting
to the point Oc ( x , y , z  ) ,and clockwise rotation  around Xw axis, as followed Formula(1).

 xc   1 0 0   X w  x 
     
 yc    0 cos  sin   *  Yw  y  (1)
 z   0  sin  cos    Z w  z 
 c 
In Formula (1), the point Oc ( x , y , z  ) is the origin of the camera coordinate. Inserting the origin
Oc  ( x , y  , z  )  (0,d * sin  , d * cos  ) and the center of circular target C(xp, 0, 0) into Formula (1), in the camera
coordinate system, the projected image point of the circle centre can be expressed as:

Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8499 84991V-2

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018
Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use
  xc '   xp 
   
 yc '    d  sin   cos   d  cos   sin   (2)
 z '    d  sin   sin   d  cos   cos  
 c   
By the traditional pin-hole camera model, the constraints expressed as:
xc ' y c ' z c '
  t (3)
uc vc  c
The coordinates of the image point C’ (the true image point of the circular target centre) can be calculated from Formula
(2) and (3):
cx p
uc ' 
d cos(   ) (4)

vc '  c tan(   )
Step.2 Seek the center of ellipse in image plane.
By Formula (2), the transformation from camera coordinate to world coordinate is:

 X w  1 0 0   xc   x 
       
 Yw    0 cos   sin   *  yc    y  (5)
 Z   0 sin  cos    z   z 
 w    c  
In order to get the elliptic equation in image plane, the pin-hole camera constraints as Formula (2) and the plane Z w  0
where the circular target locates are inserted into Formula (5). The relation between the world coordinate and the image
coordinate can be got:
u cos 
x  d
v sin   c  cos 
v cos(   )  c  sin(   )
y  d (6)
v sin   c  cos 
z0
Once inserting the above Formula (6) into the circle equation ( x  x p ) 2  y 2  r 2 , the circle equation will transform into
the ellipse equation, as following:
u cos  v cos(   )  c sin(   ) 2
(d  x p ) 2  (d )  r2
v sin   c  cos  v sin   c  cos 
The coordinates of the above ellipse centre marked as B is:
cx p d cos(   )
uB 
d cos 2 (   )  r 2 sin 2 
2
(7)
d 2 sin(   ) cos(   )  r 2 sin  cos 
vB 
d 2 cos 2 (   )  r 2 sin 2 
The eccentricity errors in image plane are the coordinate differences between the projected image point of the circle
centre and the ellipse center. So that, by the Formula (4) and Formula (7), the eccentricity errors can be expressed:

Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8499 84991V-3

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018
Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use
 c( x p / l ) sin 2   c (d / l ) sin  cos 
 u  u B  uC '  ,v  v B  vC '  (8)
(l / r )  sin 
2 2
(l / r ) 2  sin 2 

3. ERROR CORRECTION MODEL

Base on the error Formula (8), we propose a new algorithm for the error correction in the current paper. In the most cases,
just because the exposure distances l much greater than the circle radius r, sin  in denominator of Formula (8) can be
ignored. So that the error formula will change into that:
c( x p / l ) sin 2 
 u  u B  uC   r 2  Ku  r 2
l2 (9)
 c(d / l ) sin  cos  2
 v  v B  vC   r  Kv  r 2
l2
In Formula (9), the eccentricity error is proportional to squared radius of the circular target, the proportionality Ku, Kv not
relevant for the size of the circle, is only relevant for relationships between the circular target and camera. For concentric
circles with different radius, they have same proportionality Ku, Kv. Through perspective projection, they image as two
ellipses with different centre, as Figure 3 shows. In Figure 3, the concentric circles have the same centre marked as C,
and in image plane they change into different ellipses. The smaller ellipses center marked as B1, the bigger one marked
as B2 and C’ is the projected point of concentric circles C.

Perspective
ransformatio

Figure3. Perspective imaging of concentric circles

By the Formula (9), through the imaging process of concentric circles we can easily get the equation, as follows:

u B1  uC  K u  r1 , vB1  vC  K v  r1
2 2

(10)
u B 2  uC  K u  r2 , vB 2  vC  K v  r2
2 2

In the above equations, the image coordinates of two ellipse centers (u B1, vB1), (uB2, vB2) automatically are determined by
adopting digital image processing. Radiuses of two circles r1, r2 are known. Now we have four equations with four
unknowns. The unknowns Ku, Kv. are not useful in the current paper. Solve the set of equations, the projected image
point (u c, vc) of the center of concentric circles is:

Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8499 84991V-4

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018
Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use
 uC  K1  u B 2  K 2  u B1 r12 r22
with K1  , K  (11)
vC  K1  vB 2  K 2  vB1 r12  r22 r12  r22
2

By the Formula (11), the novel correction algorithm is summarized below. Firstly set the concentric circles with two
known radius r1, r2. After shooting, they become two ellipses with difference center in image plane. Secondly, by digital
image processing, the two ellipses centers (u B1, vB1), (uB2, vB2)can be determined. Lastly, by the Formula (11), adopting the
linear combination of ellipse centers (u B1, vB1), (uB2, vB2), the image coordinates of the projected of the concentric circles
centers will be got.

4. SIMULATION ANALYSIS
To validate the proposed correction method is effective and robust, we made the following simulation: firstly, generate
the concentric circles with known radius and position of the center, after the simulate camera projection transformation
they become two difference size ellipses and their centers are not coincidence. In order to get the real simulation results,
random noise was added to the ellipses in the simulate image plane, as Figure 4 shows. Through the digital image
processing method, the two ellipse centers will be gotten, after that, use the proposed correction algorithm to correct the
error. At the same time, through projection transformation, get the ideal projected image circle center. Lastly, compare
the corrected centre with the ideal centre.

Figure 4 the left is the simulate concentric circles, the right is the simulate image of concentric circles with -40dB noise
To complete the numerical simulation, some geometrical parameters must be chosen. In this way, assume that the
simulation parameters are as follows. Set the concentric circles center in the world coordinate (100, 0, 0), the bigger
circle’s radius changes from 10mm to 60mm, the smaller circle’s radius is the half of the bigger. The camera resolution
is 1280*1024, and focal distance c is 12mm, the shoot angle is 45(degree), and the distance between the camera
coordinate system origin and world coordinate system origin is 800mm. In practical terms, the SNR of camera is greater
than 42dB, in the simulation, maximum noise intensity added to the simulate image is -40dB. (If the signal intensity is
considered as 1, the noise of -40dB is random noise with a standard deviation of 0.0001. For the other noise intensities
are as above.) .
For each group of the simulation image with different noise intensity, repeated 20 times experiment, by simple statistical
analysis, the eccentricity errors of bigger and smaller ellipses can be obtained. The obtained error after correction is the
difference between the correction results and the ideal projection centre. Experiment results are given in Table1.
If the paper does not have the margins shown in Table 1, it will not upload properly.

Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8499 84991V-5

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018
Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use
 Eccentricity Error before correction/pixel
Radius of circle Error after
Noise/dB
bigger(smaller)/mm correction /pixel
bigger circle smaller circle

10(5) 0.1866 0.0453 0.0017

20(10) 0.7505 0.1864 0.0075

-40
40(20) 3.0036 0.7506 0.0041

60(30) 6.7683 1.6873 0.0082

10(5) 0.1860 0.0463 0.0052

20(10) 0.7486 0.1819 0.0082

-45
40(20) 3.0026 0.7491 0.0152

60(30) 6.7683 1.6876 0.0071

Table1 the correction result
From the above table, our correction method is effective in different noise level. The error after correction is not greater
than 0.02 pixels. It shows that the proposed method can well correct the eccentricity errors.

5. EXPERIMENT WITH REAL IMAGES

In order to further exam the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, we test our method using a real
image, as follows. There are concentric circles displayed on LCD screen. They are made up by two circles with radius
30cm and 15 cm. The centre is marked as “+”. The image was taken by the camera at 1280*1024 pixels. And the shoot
angle is about 45(degree), the exposure distance is about 1.5m. The effect of the correction with the eccentricity error is
showed in Figure 5.

Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8499 84991V-6

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018
Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use
 Figure 6.The comparison of the centers, the bigger “+” is the bigger ellipse center,
the smaller “+” is the smaller ellipse center, and the white one is the correction result

6. CONCLUSION
This paper has analyzed the relation the eccentricity error which generated by perspective projection transformation and
the circle target radius. We proposed a linear correction method with the concentric circles. The simulation analysis and
real image experiments have proved the method is useful and robust. The proposed approach has potential in the areas of
the camera calibration and the registration of multiple range images.

REFERENCES

[1] Ahn, S.J., Rauh, W. and Recknagel, M., “Circular coded landmark for optical 3D-measurement and robot
vision,” Proceedings of the 1999 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 1128-
1133(1999).
[2] Jun-Sik Kim, Pierre Gurdjos and In-So Kweon, "Geometric and algebraic constraints of projected concentric
circles and their application to camera calibration," IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence.
Papers 27(4) , 637-642(2005)
[3] Y Yin, X Liu, A Li, C Zhang, D He, X Peng, “Center location error correction of circular targets,” Proc. SPIE
7798, 241-247 (2010).
[4] J. Heikkilä, O. Silvén, “A Four-step Camera Calibration Procedure with Implicit Image Correction,” IEEE
Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR'97) , 485-502 (1997).
[5] Ahn, S.J., H.-J. Warnecke, “Systematic geometric image measurement errors of circular object targets:
Mathematical formulation and correction,” Photogrammetric Record. Papers 16(93), 485-502(1999).
[6] Guangjun Zhang and Zhenzhong Wei, “A position-distortion model of ellipse centre for perspective projection,”
Meas. Sci. Technol. Papers14, 1420–1426 (2003)

Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8499 84991V-7

Downloaded From: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie on 11/28/2018
Terms of Use: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/terms-of-use