A layered stereo algorithm using image segmentation and global visibility constraints (WP-L2)

Author(s) : Michael Bleyer (Interactive Media Systems Group, Institute for Software Technology and Interactive Systems, Vienna University of Technology, Austria) Margrit Gelautz (Interactive Media Systems Group, Institute for Software Technology and Interactive Systems, Vienna University of Technology, Austria)

Abstract : We propose a new stereo algorithm which uses colour segmentation to allow the handling of large untextured regions and precise localization of depth boundaries. Each segment is modelled as a plane. Robustness of the depth representation is achieved by the use of a layered model. Layers are extracted by mean-shift-based clustering of depth planes. For layer assignment a global cost function is defined. The quality of the disparity map is measured by warping the reference image to the second view and comparing it with the real image. Z-buffering enforces visibility and allows the explicit detection of occlusions. An efficient greedy algorithm searches for a local minimum of the cost function. Layer extraction and assignment are alternately applied. Results obtained for benchmark and self-recorded images indicate that the proposed algorithm can compete with the state-of-the-art.

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