Automatic disparity control in stereo panoramas (OmniStereo)

An omnistereo panorama consists of a pair of panoramic images, where one panorama is for the left eye, and another panorama is for the right eye. An omnistereo pair provides a stereo sensation up to a full 360 degrees. OmniStereo panoramas can be created by mosaicing images from a rotating video camera, or by specially designed cameras. The stereo sensation is a function of the disparity between the left and right images. This disparity is a function of the ratio of the distance between the cameras (the baseline) and the distance to the object: disparity is larger with longer baseline and close objects. Since our eyes are a fixed distance apart, we loose stereo sensation for far away objects. It is possible to control the disparity in omnistereo panoramas which are generated by mosaicing images from a rotating camera. The baseline can be made larger for far away scenes, and smaller for nearer scenes. A method is described for the construction of omnistereo panoramas having larger baselines for far away scenes, and smaller baseline for closer scenes. The baseline can change within the panorama from directions with closer objects to directions with further objects.