Evaluation of 3D Feature Descriptors for Multi-modal Data Registration

We propose a framework for 2D/3D multi-modal data registration and evaluate 3D feature descriptors for registration of 3D datasets from different sources. 3D datasets of outdoor environments can be acquired using a variety of active and passive sensor technologies. Registration of these datasets into a common coordinate frame is required for subsequent modelling and visualisation. 2D images are converted into 3D structure by stereo or multiview reconstruction techniques and registered to a unified 3D domain with other datasets in a 3D world. Multi-modal datasets have different density, noise, and types of errors in geometry. This paper provides a performance benchmark for existing 3D feature descriptors across multi-modal datasets. This analysis highlights the limitations of existing 3D feature detectors and descriptors which need to be addressed for robust multi-modal data registration. We analyse and discuss the performance of existing methods in registering various types of datasets then identify future directions required to achieve robust multi-modal data registration.