129 results about "Stereo pair" patented technology

The present invention provides a system (method and apparatus) for creating photorealistic 3D models of environments and/or objects from a plurality of stereo images obtained from a mobile stereo camera and optional monocular cameras. The cameras may be handheld, mounted on a mobile platform, manipulator or a positioning device. The system automatically detects and tracks features in image sequences and self-references the stereo camera in 6 degrees of freedom by matching the features to a database to track the camera motion, while building the database simultaneously. A motion estimate may be also provided from external sensors and fused with the motion computed from the images. Individual stereo pairs are processed to compute dense 3D data representing the scene and are transformed, using the estimated camera motion, into a common reference and fused together. The resulting 3D data is represented as point clouds, surfaces, or volumes. The present invention also provides a system (method and apparatus) for enhancing 3D models of environments or objects by registering information from additional sensors to improve model fidelity or to augment it with supplementary information by using a light pattern projector. The present invention also provides a system (method and apparatus) for generating photo-realistic 3D models of underground environments such as tunnels, mines, voids and caves, including automatic registration of the 3D models with pre-existing underground maps.

A method for processing an image of coronary arteries given by an intensity function I(x,y). A function z(x,y) is obtained describing the heart surface. The image is then processed to produce an image having an intensity function I′(x,y) where I′ is obtained in a calculation involving the function z. The method may be used to enhance the stereoscopic effect of a stereo pair of images of coronary arteries.

Three general designs for reducing parallax in a moving picture are disclosed. One design comprises stretching graphics content near the left and right frame edges of stereo pair elements in order to modify parallax settings. A second design comprises identifying a plurality of substantially corresponding points in a left eye view and right eye view and bringing the plurality of substantially corresponding points closer together using a morph technique. The third design entails fading a portion of a right eye view with a portion of a left eye view near or proximate an edge of the image.

A two-dimensional image is displayed and a grey level image is drawn on said two-dimensional image defining a depth map. A stereo image pair is generated based on the depth map and an anaglyph image of the stereo image pair is displayed. Edits of the depth map are displayed by anaglyph image. A plurality of projection frames are generated based on the depth map, and interlaced and printed for viewing through a micro optical media. Optionally, a layered image is extracted from the two-dimensional image and the plurality of projection frames have an alignment correction shift to center the apparent position of the image. A measured depth map is optionally input, and a stereo pair is optionally input, with a depth map calculated based on the pair. The user selectively modifies the calculated and measured depth map, and the extracted layers, using painted grey levels. A ray trace optionally modifies the interlacing for optimization to a particular media.

A wearable neck device for providing environmental awareness to a user, the wearable neck device includes a flexible tube. A first stereo pair of cameras is encased in a left portion of the flexible tube and a second stereo pair of cameras is encased in a right portion of the flexible tube. A vibration motor within the flexible tube provides haptic and audio feedback to the user. A processor in the flexible tube recognizes objects from the first stereo pair of cameras and the second stereo pair of cameras. The vibration motor provides haptic and audio feedback of the items or points of interest to the user.

A method for demultiplexing frames of compressed image data is provided. The image data includes a series of left compressed images and a series of right compressed images, the right compressed images and left compressed images compressed using a compression function. The method includes receiving the frames of compressed image data via a medium configured to transmit images in single frame format, and performing an expansion function on frames of compressed image data, the expansion function configured to select pixels from the series of left compressed images and series of right compressed images to produce replacement pixels to form a substantially decompressed set of stereo image pairs. Additionally, a system for receiving stereo pairs, multiplexing the stereo pairs for transmission across a medium including single frame formatting, and demultiplexing received data into altered stereo pairs is provided.

A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for generating fused depth maps. A plurality of initial depth maps are generated for a first image of a stereo pair, using at least two separate and distinct techniques for depth estimation. A plurality of initial depth maps are generated for a second image of the stereo pair, using at least two separate and distinct techniques for depth estimation. A fused depth map is generated for the first image based on the plurality of initial depth maps for the first image and the plurality of initial depth maps for the second image. A fused depth map is generated for the second image based on the plurality of initial depth maps for the second image and the plurality of initial depth maps for the first image.

A method for enabling viewing of stereoscopic images is provided. The method includes generating a stereo pair of images in digital form using at least one image recording device configured to produce two digital images producing a stereo pair. The method further includes offering the user an ability to provide the stereo pair of images to a display facilitator, the display facilitator comprising an ability to elect display from at least one from a group comprising a service bureau, a device configured to print the stereoscopic image, and a device configured to display the stereoscopic image. The user has an ability to choose a display facilitator for receiving the stereoscopic image and further has an ability to view at least one stereoscopic image resulting from the generating.

A video image capture device for providing a video with perceived depth comprising: an image sensor for capturing video frames; an optical system for imaging a scene onto the image sensor from a single perspective; a data storage system for storing a sequence of video images captured by the image sensor; a position sensing device for sensing a relative position of the image capture device; a means for storing the sensed relative position of the image capture device in association with stored sequences of video images; a data processor; a memory system storing instructions configured to cause the data processor to provide a video with perceived depth. The video with perceived depth is provided by: selecting stereo pairs of video images responsive to the stored relative position of the image capture device.

Aspects of the present invention include systems and methods for recalibrating projector-camera systems. In embodiments, systems and methods are able to recalibrate automatically the projector with arbitrary intrinsic and pose, as well as render for arbitrarily desired viewing point. In contrast to previous methods, the methods disclosed herein use the observing camera and the projector to form a stereo pair. Structured light is used to perform pixel-level fine reconstruction of the display surface. In embodiments, the geometric warping is implemented as a direct texture mapping problem. As a result, re-calibration of the projector movement is performed by simply computing the new projection matrix and setting it as a camera matrix. For re-calibrating the new view point, the texture mapping is modified according to the new camera matrix.

A system for analyzing radiological images using three-dimensional (3D) stereo pairs comprises capturing 3D image data; storing the 3D image data; segmenting the 3D image data; creating a model from the segmented 3D image data; creating a first 3D volumetric monocular-view image for the current model position; rotating the model a prescribed amount and creating a second 3D volumetric monocular-view image for the rotated position; creating the 3D stereo pair using the first and second 3D volumetric monocular-view images; and viewing the 3D stereo pair on a 3D stereo viewer.

An error detection vision system that determines whether a proper part has been selected from a presentation device during an assembly process. In one embodiment, the presentation device is a rack including a plurality of bins, where the bins hold a plurality of different parts. The vision system includes one or more projecting devices that project a light beam towards the presentation device and a detector, such as a camera, receiving reflections back from a worker as he selects parts from the presentation device. The error detection vision system can employ various detection processes, such as a stereo pair of video cameras, vision using structured-light triangulation and infrared time-of-flight distance measurements.

A stereoscopic display which enables plural persons to simultaneously observe stereoscopic images includes a color liquid crystal plate for displaying stereo-pairs composed of left and right eye perspectives in time-interlaced manner, a monochrome TV display disposed behind the color liquid crystal plate for displaying binary and inverted binary images of half face of each observer so as to be synchronized with the time-interlaced display of the color liquid crystal plate, and a large convex lens disposed between the color liquid crystal plate and the monochrome TV display so as to focus the observers' optical images on the screen of the monochrome TV display in geometrical agreement with the observers' face images displayed thereby. And an infrared TV camera is disposed so as to take observers' images by way of the large convex lens and input observers' face images to the monochrome TV display.

Methods and systems for egomotion estimation (e.g. of a vehicle) from visual inputs of a stereo pair of video cameras are described. 3D egomotion estimation is a six degrees of freedom problem in general. In embodiments of the present invention, this is simplified to four dimensions and further decomposed to two two-dimensional sub-solutions. The decomposition allows use of a voting strategy that identifies the most probable solution. An input is a set of image correspondences between two temporally consecutive stereo pairs, i.e. feature points do not need to be tracked over time. The experiments show that even if a trajectory is put together as a simple concatenation of frame-to-frame increments, the results are reliable and precise.

Model-based stereo matching from a stereo pair of images of a given object, such as a human face, may result in a high quality depth map. Integrated modeling may combine coarse stereo matching of an object with details from a known 3D model of a different object to create a smooth, high quality depth map that captures the characteristics of the object. A semi-automated process may align the features of the object and the 3D model. A fusion technique may employ a stereo matching confidence measure to assist in combining the stereo results and the roughly aligned 3D model. A normal map and a light direction may be computed. In one embodiment, the normal values and light direction may be used to iteratively perform the fusion technique. A shape-from-shading technique may be employed to refine the normals implied by the fusion output depth map and to bring out fine details. The normals may be used to re-light the object from different light positions.

This process and invention may be used for “live” (on-line, recorded, real-time, or transmitted) stereoscopic image generation, post-production, and viewing to ensure the imagery, from the cameras through the systems to the final screens, maintains an acceptable level of viewer comfort and actively causes an action if an image becomes “uncomfortable” to view. The invention will use image-processing hardware and software to monitor stereoscopic 3D image data, and will generate an output response based on qualifying the imagery. The output responses include generating an alarm to alert technical crew members to a “discomfort” condition so they may take corrective action. The alarm may be an audio or visual alert, and warn of the type of discomfort detected. The alarm condition may trigger the automatic control of a video switching device, which would immediately route an appropriate “comfortable” input source to the output. The alarm condition may duplex a single camera or playback signal into an identical stereo pair, which will be 2D, but will be comfortable to view.

A stereoscopic image display apparatus includes an image receiving device for retrieving right and left eye images of plural stereo pairs obtained stereoscopically from a storage medium by one pair. A parallax checking device determines parallax information of parallax of a common principal object present in each of the right and left eye images being retrieved. A stereo matching unit corrects a right eye image in projective transformation to minimize the parallax information being determined. A display panel displays a three dimensional image according to the right and left eye images after correcting the right eye image. A controller, while the display panel displays the three dimensional image, causes retrieval of the right and left eye images and determination of the parallax information thereof with the image receiving device and the parallax checking device with respect to a succeeding stereo pair among the plural stereo pairs.