Generation of 3D autostereoscopic integral images using computer simulated imaging systems.

Abstract

Production of artificial Three-Dimension (3-D) images was the aim of many researches over hundreds of years. 3-D images are the images that create sense of depth when viewing them. 3-D images are closer to the real world scenes than 2-D images due to the 3-D effect or the sense of depth the 3-D images provide. Sense of depth can be caused by binocular cues including convergence and parallax. Convergence is created by the difference between the angles of the left eye and the right eye viewing axes. Parallax is the effect of viewing with one eye a view of the scene that is inherently shifted to the view seen by the other eye. Several techniques have targeted the creation of 3-D images with the mentioned cues. The technique is preferred when it is able to create 3-D images so that the viewer can view these images without wearing special glasses and the occurrence of viewer fatigue. Integral photography that was invented in 1908 is able to meet the previous requirements. Based on integral photography, several techniques, research and studies have been published. The purposes of this thesis include the computer simulation of flexible integral photography systems, the computer generation of good quality 3-D static and animated integral images using the simulated systems, optimising the generation process to be more accurate, less expensive, more effective, and faster, and producing a portable specialist software tool to achieve these targets. New techniques and algorithms are needed to meet these purposes. A literature survey was carried out about the closest researches and studies to the subject of computer-generated integral images; these were compared with the new techniques introduced in this study to prove the advantages and the necessity of these new techniques. The closest technique to the suggested techniques was implemented using more developed tools to compare the quality of the resulting integral images with the targeted integral images that are going to be produced using the tools and algorithms proposed in this thesis. A method to simulate an imaging system and produce integral images based on the new technique of dividing the view volume of the scene was introduced, explained, proved, and implemented with a program designed for this purpose. To optimise the processing time and the image quality, the previous method is developed, new features are added to the resulting integral images, and better performance was achieved by introducing the method of Displacing the Virtual Camera Target (DCT). Application software with Graphical User Interface is designed and implemented to allow users to select the required parameters of the imaging system and the required features of the resultant integral images. The software tool that is based on the developed techniques and employing OpenGL is useful to simulate the imaging systems, tune their parameters before the actual implementation of these systems, and as a result, save time and materials when designing these systems. The introduced techniques and the software tools are faster, more effective, and cheaper original methods to help in optimising both the integral imaging systems and the quality of integral images. These software tools based on the new techniques can be used on a wide range of devices and platforms because these are employing the portable Application Interface OpenGL. With these methods, integral imaging systems are simulated, and optimised; good quality static and animated integral images were created.