Fundamental Analytics of Mirror Photogrammetry

Abstract

Mirror photogrammetry is discussed fundamentally in this paper. First, the relationship between an object and the satellite picture (a photograph taken of the virtual object) is investigated and an interesting property of the satellite picture is clarified that parameters defining the mirror surface in the object space coordinate system are absorbed only by the exterior orientation elements of the reflected satellite picture (the mirror reflection of the satellite picture). Based on this fact, the orientation problem of overlapped mirror photographs is solved for various configurations of cameras and mirrors. In addition, the orientation calculation using mirror parameters as the orientation unknowns is described by introducing the law of reflection in terms of direction cosines. The non-central projective parameters such as those defining lens distortion, effect of lack of film flatness, and mirror undulation are considered separately.