Active Animate Stereo Vision

This paper describes recent research concerning the Active Stereo Probe (ASP) stereo vision system that combines animate oculo-motor reflexes with a novel active illumination source. Two methods for accurate surface recovery from stereo at rates approaching real time are described. Results using texture projection combined with a fast sub-pixel matching algorithm are presented. The development of a high accuracy, fast active ranging technique based upon temporal modulation is also presented. A number of novel extensions are introduced to address this technique's traditional shortfalls and place it in a sound theoretical framework. A calibration regime suitable for incorporating photogrammetric techniques into the ASP active vision system during dynamic system operation is described.