Publication

Advances in the testing of stereo image acquisition devices

Andorko, Istvan
Citation
Abstract
The core problem addressed in the current thesis is to provide a novel test bed for depth map generation and stereo image-based algorithms. The test bed comprises of elements such as (i) the choice and calibration of stereo image acquisition devices; (ii) choice and setup of objects in the test scenes; (iii) light intensity and temperature settings; (iv) camera-object and stereo baseline distance setups and (v) a repeatable test scene. In order to determine each element of the test bed, a number of experiments are presented. During the experiment process, four depth map algorithms are selected which, in conjunction with four different test scenes, are used for the initial measurements where (i) the influence of light intensity on algorithm performance is determined; (ii) the performances of the algorithms at different camera-object distances are determined and (iii) the influence of similar objects in the test scene is described. In order to acquire stereo images, a number of devices are used, from off-the-shelf stereo cameras to custom-built stereo devices. During the stereo image acquisition, a number of possible error sources are noticed, and the problems are mitigated. The experiments show that slight changes in the light intensity, light direction, camera-object distance and stereo base length can have a significant influence on the result of the depth map algorithms. With the help of these results, the details of the test bed are determined, and an on-line database is provided, containing details of the test scene and example stereo test images derived from the scene. This is available online for other researchers to download at http://www.andorko.com/stereo.html. The proposed test scene is provided with a view to having a standardized test scene that can be easily replicated by other researchers for testing of stereo acquisition systems and associated depth map acquisition algorithms.
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland