Spherical Video Stabilization via Sensor-Driven Orientation Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional omnidirectional cameras capture spherical video but playback often results in erratic movements due to user head movements, causing valuable footage to be out of view unless manually panned, leading to inefficient video consumption.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a location-determining component and sensor array to generate data correlating geographic location and orientation with each spherical video frame, allowing a processor unit to reorient the video to align with the direction of travel, stabilizing the footage and locking it to a fixed direction or plane for improved playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional omnidirectional cameras capture spherical video with multiple camera units oriented back-to-back, then the field of view covers 360 degrees, but the playback shows erratic movements due to user head movements causing valuable footage to be out of view
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing not only video frames but also orientation data from sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) and location data from GPS at the time of video capture. This metadata is stored alongside the video frames, enabling subsequent automatic reorientation during playback to compensate for head movements and maintain a stable field of view aligned with the direction of travel.
2Measurement precision
If the focal direction is locked to user head movements during recording, then the camera captures the user's perspective accurately, but the playback field of view deviates from the user's direction of travel
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the focal direction during playback based on the recorded orientation data and location information. Instead of being locked to head movements, the focal direction is automatically reoriented to align with the direction of travel calculated from GPS trajectory and sensor data. This dynamic reorientation ensures that the field of view follows the user's actual movement path, improving video consumption efficiency by keeping the user's perspective centered without requiring manual panning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual panning is required to view valuable footage, then the spherical video can be viewed from any direction, but the time to review footage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically reorienting the spherical video during playback based on the stored orientation and location data. The processor unit automatically calculates the direction of travel and adjusts the field of view accordingly, eliminating the need for users to manually pan through the spherical video to find areas of interest. This automatic adjustment significantly reduces video review time while maintaining the ability to view footage from any direction.
Data Source
AI summary
An omnidirectional camera is disclosed that records spherical video associated with a particular focal direction while in motion. The omnidirectional camera may implement one or more sensors and location-determining components to facilitate the recorded spherical video being subsequently correlated to an orientation and location of the omnidirectional camera during recording in a time-wise fashion to provide several enhancements during playback. These enhancements include reorienting the spherical video to a new focal direction. Data derived from the one or more sensors and location-determining components may be further utilized to overlay graphical objects onto the spherical video during playback to provide additional feedback.