Comparison of the Trimble MX9 and the Trimble MX50 mobile mapping systems 7
Comparing the imaging sensors
Camera descriptions
Both systems have the same 360° spherical camera. This camera is widely used in mobile mapping; one of the
main reasons is that this camera is built on a global shutter CMOS sensor.
In addition to the 360° spherical camera, the MX9 system has three additional planar cameras. One camera
positioned at the back of the MX9 unit is aimed at the ground surface and is fixed. The two additional planar
cameras are positioned at the front of the MX9 unit, one per side. These two side looking cameras can be
reoriented if required. Reorienting a camera requires a new boresight camera calibration to provide the
necessary alignment between images and point cloud data. Camera calibration is a process that can be done
using the Trimble Business Center software.
The following table shows the specifications for the two types of cameras:
Camera performances
The spherical camera and the planar cameras have the same CMOS sensor. The enhanced image quality
obtained by the planar cameras is mainly because the lenses have a larger focal length, which is mostly double
compared to the 360° spherical camera.
Today, in both the MX50 and MX9 systems, the spherical cameras are mostly used for navigation and for
coloring point clouds. Given the higher resolution, the planar cameras are mostly used for visual inspection.
The higher GSD (Ground Sample Distance) resolution values enable operators to identify specific features and
attributes that otherwise would not be recognizable from the panoramic images, as shown by the following
examples.
