Panoramic imaging and virtual reality — filling the gaps between the lines

Abstract

Close range photogrammetry projects rely upon a clear and unambiguous specification of end-user requirements to inform decisions relating to the format, coverage, accuracy and complexity of the final deliverable. Invariably such deliverables will be a partial and incomplete abstraction of the real world where the benefits of higher accuracy and increased complexity must be traded against the cost of the project. As photogrammetric technologies move into the digital era, computerisation offers opportunities for the photogrammetrist to revisit established mapping traditions in order to explore new markets. One such market is that for three-dimensional Virtual Reality (VR) models for clients who have previously had little exposure to the capabilities, and limitations, of photogrammetry and may have radically different views on the cost/benefit trade-offs in producing geometric models. This paper will present some examples of the authors' recent experience of such markets, drawn from a number of research and commercial projects directed towards the modelling of complex man-made objects. This experience seems to indicate that suitably configured digital image archives may form an important deliverable for a wide range of photogrammetric projects and supplement, or even replace, more traditional CAD models.