3D reconstruction from stereo images for interactions between real and virtual objects

The 3D reconstruction algorithm in a stereo image pair for realizing mutual occlusion and interactions between the real and virtual world in an image synthesis is proposed. A two-stage algorithm, consisting of disparity estimation and regularization is used to locate a smooth and precise disparity vector. The hierarchical disparity estimation technique increases the efficiency and reliability of the estimation process, and edge-preserving disparity field regularization produces smooth disparity fields while preserving discontinuities that result from object boundaries. Depth information concerning the real scene is then recovered from the estimated disparity fields by stereo camera geometry. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm provides accurate and spatially correlated disparity vector fields in various types of images, and the reconstructed 3D model produces a natural space in which the real world and virtual objects interact with each other as if they were in the same world. r 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.