Extrinsic calibration of built-in camera to slope monitoring radar for human-interpretable radar data visualization, deployed to 600+ systems worldwide
Slope monitoring radar systems are deployed at mine sites worldwide to detect ground movement and prevent catastrophic slope failures. Each radar unit includes a built-in camera, but visualizing radar data in a human-interpretable way required precise camera-to-radar extrinsic calibration.
CalibWorks developed a field-deployable calibration solution that uses the radar's own encoder values (elevation and azimuth axes) to perform calibration without requiring any external calibration targets. This eliminated the need for specialized equipment at remote mine sites and enabled rapid deployment.
Delivering target-free field calibration for remote deployments
Remote mine sites made traditional target-based calibration impractical. Solution required encoder-only calibration method.
Accurately modeling the elevation and azimuth encoder kinematics to establish camera-to-radar transformation.
Calibration procedure needed to be simple enough for field technicians at remote locations without specialized equipment.
Overlaying radar detection data onto camera images in a way that operators can interpret slope movement intuitively.
Dealing with encoder backlash, mechanical play, and measurement noise to achieve reliable extrinsic calibration.
System needed to be robust enough for deployment to 600+ units worldwide with minimal support overhead.
Worldwide slope monitoring installations
Encoder-based target-free calibration
CalibWorks developed a breakthrough calibration method that uses the radar's built-in elevation and azimuth encoders to establish the extrinsic transformation between the camera and radar coordinate systems—without requiring any calibration targets.
By commanding the radar through a series of elevation and azimuth positions while capturing synchronized camera images, our algorithm solves for the camera-to-radar transformation. This eliminates the need for field technicians to set up targets at remote mine sites.
Before and after calibration optimization
Measurable improvements in ADAS performance
CalibWorks delivered a game-changing solution for our radar-camera fusion challenges. Their innovative corner reflector design and calibration algorithms exceeded our performance targets by 200%. The system now operates reliably in conditions where our previous solution completely failed. This has accelerated our ADAS product roadmap by at least 12 months.
Unlock the full potential of radar-camera fusion with our advanced calibration solutions.