Morphorider: Acquisition and reconstruction of 3D curves with mobile sensors

This paper introduces a new method for real-time shape sensing. Using a single inertial measurement unit (IMU), our method enables to scan physical objects and to reconstruct digital 3D models. By moving the IMU along the surface, a network of local orientation data is acquired together with traveled distances and network topology. We then reconstruct a consistent network of curves and fit these curves by a globally smooth surface. To demonstrate the feasibility of our approach, we have constructed a mobile device called the Morphorider, which is equipped with a 3A3M-sensor node and an odometer for distance tracking.