Radar, lidar, and other active 3D imaging techniques require large, heavy sensors that consume lots of power. Passive 3D imaging techniques based on feature matching are computationally expensive and limited by the quality of the feature matching. Fortunately, there is a robust, computationally inexpensive way to generate 3D images from full-motion video acquired from a platform that moves relative to the scene. The full-motion video frames are registered to each other and mapped to the scene coordinates using data about the trajectory of the platform with respect to the scene. The time derivative of the registered frames equals the product of the height map of the scene, the projected angular velocity of the platform, and the spatial gradient of the registered frames. This relationship can be solved in (near) real time to produce the height map of the scene from the full-motion video and the trajectory.

Methods and apparatus relating to encoding and decoding stereoscopic (3D) image data, e.g., left and right eye images, are described. Various pre-encoding and post-decoding operations are described in conjunction with difference based encoding and decoding techniques. In some embodiments left and right eye image data is subject to scaling, transform operation(s) and cropping prior to encoding. In addition, in some embodiments decoded left and right eye image data is subject to scaling, transform operations(s) and filling operations prior to being output to a display device. Transform information and/or scaling information may be included in a bitstream communicating encoded left and right eye images. The amount of scaling can be the same for an entire scene and/or program.

Methods and apparatus relating to encoding and decoding stereoscopic (3D) image data, e.g., left and right eye images, are described. Various pre-encoding and post-decoding operations are described in conjunction with difference based encoding and decoding techniques. In some embodiments left and right eye image data is subject to scaling, transform operation(s) and cropping prior to encoding. In addition, in some embodiments decoded left and right eye image data is subject to scaling, transform operations(s) and filling operations prior to being output to a display device. Transform information and/or scaling information may be included in a bitstream communicating encoded left and right eye images. The amount of scaling can be the same for an entire scene and/or program.

A method of generating a 3D reconstruction of a scene, the scene comprising a plurality of cameras positioned around the scene, comprises: obtaining the extrinsics and intrinsics of a virtual camera within a scene; accessing a data structure so as to determine a camera pair that is to be used in reconstructing the scene from the viewpoint of the virtual camera; wherein the data structure defines a voxel representation of the scene, the voxel representation comprising a plurality of voxels, at least some of the voxel surfaces being associated with respective camera pair identifiers; wherein each camera pair identifier associated with a respective voxel surface corresponds to a camera pair that has been identified as being suitable for obtaining depth data for the part of the scene within that voxel and for which the averaged pose of the camera pair is oriented towards the voxel surface; identifying, based on the obtained extrinsics and intrinsics of the virtual camera, at least one voxel that is within the field of view of the virtual camera and a corresponding voxel surface that is oriented towards the virtual camera; identifying, based on the accessed data structure, at least one camera pair that is suitable for reconstructing the scene from the viewpoint of the virtual camera, and generating a reconstruction of the scene from the viewpoint of the virtual camera based on the images captured by the cameras in the identified at least one camera pair.

A method of generating a 3D reconstruction of a scene, the scene comprising a plurality of cameras positioned around the scene, comprises: obtaining the extrinsics and intrinsics of a virtual camera within a scene; accessing a data structure so as to determine a camera pair that is to be used in reconstructing the scene from the viewpoint of the virtual camera; wherein the data structure defines a voxel representation of the scene, the voxel representation comprising a plurality of voxels, at least some of the voxel surfaces being associated with respective camera pair identifiers; wherein each camera pair identifier associated with a respective voxel surface corresponds to a camera pair that has been identified as being suitable for obtaining depth data for the part of the scene within that voxel and for which the averaged pose of the camera pair is oriented towards the voxel surface; identifying, based on the obtained extrinsics and intrinsics of the virtual camera, at least one voxel that is within the field of view of the virtual camera and a corresponding voxel surface that is oriented towards the virtual camera; identifying, based on the accessed data structure, at least one camera pair that is suitable for reconstructing the scene from the viewpoint of the virtual camera, and generating a reconstruction of the scene from the viewpoint of the virtual camera based on the images captured by the cameras in the identified at least one camera pair.

A system for executing a three-dimensional (3D) intraoperative scan of a patient is disclosed. A 3D scanner controller projects the object points included onto a first image plane and the object points onto a second image plane. The 3D scanner controller determines first epipolar lines associated with the first image plane and second epipolar lines associated with the second image plane based on an epipolar plane that triangulates the object points included in the first 2D intraoperative image to the object points included in the second 2D intraoperative image. Each epipolar lines provides a depth of each object as projected onto the first image plane and the second image plane. The 3D scanner controller converts the first 2D intraoperative image and the second 2D intraoperative image to the 3D intraoperative scan of the patient based on the depth of each object point provided by each corresponding epipolar line.

An image capture device may switch operation between a spherical capture mode or a non-spherical capture mode. Operation of the image capture device in the spherical capture mode includes generation of spherical visual content based on the visual content generated by multiple image sensors. Operation of the image capture device in the non-spherical capture mode includes generation of non-spherical visual content based on visual content generated by a single image sensor.

An image capture device may switch operation between a spherical capture mode or a non-spherical capture mode. Operation of the image capture device in the spherical capture mode includes generation of spherical visual content based on the visual content generated by multiple image sensors. Operation of the image capture device in the non-spherical capture mode includes generation of non-spherical visual content based on visual content generated by a single image sensor.

An image processing method includes: acquiring a fixation point position on a respective screen viewed by each of dominant eye(s); determining a fixation area of a left-eye screen and a fixation area of a right-eye screen according to fixation point position(s) corresponding to the dominant eye(s); rendering a first part of a left-eye image to be displayed on the left-eye screen at a first resolution, and rendering a second part of the left-eye image at a second resolution; rendering a first part of a right-eye image to be displayed on the right-eye screen at a third resolution, and rendering a second part of the right-eye image at a fourth resolution. A resolution of an image to be displayed in a fixation area of the respective screen is greater than resolutions of images to be displayed in other areas of the left-eye screen and the right-eye screen.

A method for deriving at least one item of information from images of a stereo camera. A resource-saving and at the same time accurate derivation of information from the images is achieved by alternately using and processing the images with methods of monocular image processing and deriving at least one item of information from the results. A motor vehicle comprising a stereo camera and comprising a control device which carries out the method, are also described.