Digital Mirror Apparatus Image Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital mirror systems face challenges in accurately comparing previously and newly captured facial images due to differences in lighting conditions, camera position, and face orientation, which hinder effective evaluation of chronological changes in facial information.
Innovation Solution
A digital mirror apparatus equipped with a camera, display, and controller that flips and superimposes live and reference images, allowing users to visually align and store images based on defined gestures, while extracting matching degrees and parallax information to adjust imaging conditions, facilitating accurate comparison and evaluation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If images are captured under different lighting conditions and positions, then the system can operate flexibly in various environments, but the accuracy of comparison between past and new images deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing reference images under standardized conditions and storing them in a database. When a new image is captured, the system automatically retrieves the corresponding reference image and performs alignment through feature point detection and image superposition, thereby preparing all necessary comparison materials in advance to ensure accurate evaluation despite varying operational conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary processing layer that includes feature point detection, image alignment, and superposition algorithms. This intermediary layer acts as a mediator between the raw captured images and the final comparison results, automatically adjusting for lighting differences, positional variations, and orientation changes to maintain comparison accuracy while allowing operational flexibility
2Ease of operation
If the display is positioned to allow user visual identification, then the user can easily view the mirror image, but the display position may not be optimal for capturing accurate facial information
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the user's face through image capture and processing, displaying the mirror image on the screen. This virtual copy allows the user to view their facial information from the camera's perspective, combining the ease of visual identification with accurate facial information capture by eliminating the need for the user to physically position themselves at an optimal angle
3Ease of operation
If manual operation is required for image storage, then the user has control over when to store images, but the process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting when to capture and store images based on predefined conditions such as gesture recognition or timer settings. The camera automatically captures images at appropriate moments, the processor automatically aligns and superimposes them with reference images, and the system automatically stores the results, thereby maintaining user control while significantly simplifying the operational process and reducing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a digital mirror apparatus including: a camera that captures an image of a user; a display having a display surface located at a position that allows the user to visually identify the display; a controller; a memory; and a control panel operable by the user, wherein the controller: horizontally flips a live image of the user that is being captured by the camera to generate a mirror image; reads a reference image to be compared with the mirror image; superimposes the reference image on the mirror image to display on the display a display image in a region of the display in which the reference image and the mirror image overlap one another; and stores one frame of the live image in the memory, based on an operation performed on the control panel by the user while the display image is displayed on the display.