Projection-aided videometric method for shape measurement of large-scale bulk material stockpile

Large-scale stockpiles are a common means for the storage of bulk material and their shape measurement is a prerequisite for effective transportation and logistics management. This paper proposes a projection-aided videometric method that is based on stereo vision and makes use of projections and epipolar geometry constraints to solve the correspondence problem. A prototype measuring system was developed that can work in real time and achieve measuring accuracy of 0.71 mm in terms of the flatness deviation and 0.54 mm in terms of the depth error, as proven by the experimental results.