A handheld mirror simulation

Abstract

We present the design and construction of a handheld mirror simulation device. The perception of the world reflected through a mirror depends on the viewer's position with respect to the mirror and the 3-D geometry of the world. In order to simulate a real mirror on a computer screen, images of the observed world, consistent with the viewer's position, must be synthesized and displayed in real- time. Our system is build around a LCD screen manipulated by the user, a single camera fixed on the screen, and a tracking device. The continuous input video stream and tracker data is used to synthesize, in real-time, a continuous video stream displayed on the LCD screen. The synthesized video stream is a close approximation of what the user would see on the screen surface if it were a real mirror. Our system provides a generic interface for applications involving rich, first-person interaction, such as the virtual daguerreotype.