Lead Inventors:
Shree Nayar, Minori Noguchi, Masahiro Wantanabe
Image processing to produce 3D images from 2D images :
Assessing the depth of an object from a 2D image is a pertinent problem in computer vision. Active illumination combined with focus analysis has several advantages over other techniques as it allows multiple images of an object to be taken from the same view point. However, determining depth from defocus is complicated by the need to separate the data into multiple narrow frequency domains and its inability to resolve the depth of texture-less objects. In addition, the relationship between magnification and defocus have yet to be adequately addressed.
Mapping of 3D objects from 2D images using the depth from defocus method:
• Describes an apparatus for mapping three dimensional object from two-dimensional images with increased accuracy, using the depth from defocus method
• The method requires that the scene be illuminated with a preselected illumination pattern, and that at least two images of the scene be sensed, where the sensed images are formed with different imaging parameters
• The relative blur between corresponding elemental portions of the sensed images is measured, thereby to determine the relative depth of corresponding elemental portions of object
• The technology resolves issues of texture-less objects by using active illumination to impose texture
• Uses constant magnification defocusing
Applications:
• Security systems
• Military and police surveillance
• Navigation systems
Advantages:
• The approach produces precise, high resolution depth maps at frame rate.
• The approach uses inexpensive off-the-shelf imaging and processing hardware
Publications:
• Videos of the invention are available on
the Inventor's website
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Rational Filters for Passive Depth from Defocus. M. Watanabe and S.K. Nayar, International Journal on Computer Vision, Vol.27, No.3, pp.203-225, May, 1998.
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Telecentric Optics for Focus Analysis. M. Watanabe and S.K. Nayar, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol.19, No.12, pp.1360-1365, Dec, 1997.
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Are Textureless Scenes Recoverable? H. Sundaram and S.K. Nayar, IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), pp.814-820, Jun, 1997.
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Real-Time Focus Range Sensor S.K. Nayar, M. Watanabe and M. Noguchi, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol.18, No.12, pp.1186-1198, Dec, 1996.
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Minimal Operator Set for Passive Depth from Defocus. M. Watanabe and S.K. Nayar, IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), pp.431-438, Jun, 1996.
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Real-Time Computation of Depth from Defocus. M. Watanabe, S.K. Nayar and M. Noguchi, Proceedings of The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), Vol.2599, pp.14-25, Jan, 1996
Patent Status: Issued Patent (
US 6,229,913)
Licensing Status: Available for Licensing and Sponsored Research Support