Adaptive Pixel-wise and Block-wise Stereo Matching in Lighting Condition Changes

Abstract

The depth information performs a very important role in a production of three-dimensional (3D) video content. One way to acquire this information is a stereo matching method. The stereo matching method searches for correspondences from a stereo image that has two different viewpoints. Subsequently, it estimates the depth information by calculating a disparity value between two corresponding points. Generally, a relatively accurate result is obtained from the correspondence search when the stereo image is captured under uniform illumination and exposure conditions. However, it is difficult to estimate accurate correspondences if each viewpoint image is captured under varying illumination and exposure conditions. In this paper, we analyze conventional pixel-wise and block-wise stereo matching methods that are robust to lighting condition changes. Subsequently, we propose an adaptive pixel-wise and block-wise stereo matching method based on the analysis result.