GI logo
GI'98 Online Papers



Virtual navigation of complex scenes using clusters of cylindrical panoramic images

Sing Bing Kang and Pavan Kumar Desikan

Abstract

The traditional approach of generating novel virtual views of an object or a scene is to render the appropriate 3-D model. The alternative is to render directly from the original images; this approach, which is based on pixel interpolation or reprojection, is called image-based rendering. In this paper, we describe a technique that enables virtual navigation within a complex environment using an image-based rendering technique. In particular, we make use of clusters of cylindrical panoramic images. Each cluster of panoramic images allows the user to smoothly navigate within a particular area, say within a single room. Having a collection of such interconnected clusters would enable the user to seamlessly navigate within a complex environment, such as an entire floor of a building, with each cluster representing a room. To achieve this goal, we examine a few techniques for image-based rendering using a cluster of cylindrical panoramic images to synthesize views from virtual viewpoints. We also describe our method for enabling smooth transition between clusters.

The Paper

Compressed Postscript file (577 Kb)


Up to Graphics Interface home page