An image-based virtual reality prototype system

Abstract

The most important goal of virtual reality is to create a virtual world by computers where users are allowed to view the environment and control the virtual objects interactively. Traditionally, virtual reality systems use 3D computer graphics to model and render a virtual environment in real time. However, this approach usually requires laborious modeling and expensive special-purpose rendering hardware. Image-based rendering is a new approach in composing a virtual environment in which a set of panoramic images is used to compose the virtual environment and walking in the space is accomplished by “hopping” to different panoramic points. This paper introduces an experimental image-based VR system. The techniques utilized in the system, in particular the authoring and interactive control tools of the system, are described in detail.