Resumen
The invention relates to a method for determining the spatial position of a cylindrical object, comprising the processing of an image captured by a camera. The only information sources are the captured video images, the field of view of the camera and the diameter of the cylinder. The 3D position of the cylindrical object is obtained by analysing the cross-section thereof and the edges of the cylinder that are visible in the captured image. The invention is particularly suitable for use in the field of laparoscopic surgery and has three specific applications: (a) automatic analysis of surgical operations in order to obtain parameters for evaluating same, (2) enhanced reality applications which can be used to guide the surgeon, and (3) computerised intelligent surgical systems. The method is also suitable for use in other industrial and monitoring fields.