Velocity-Based Correspondence in Stereokinetic Images

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of using the binocular optic flow as an input for the correspondence process between stereoscopic images. The main advantage of the stereocorrespondence from optic flow (SCOF) is that it does not require the use of any a priori hypothesis concerning the 3D object under analysis. In order to determine its performance relative to noisy data, we applied an algorithm of SCOF on different rigid surfaces undertaking various 3D motions. We found that when SCOF is possible it is rather robust to noise. Moreover, the study of its domain of optimal efficiency shows that SCOF is likely to cooperate well with static stereopsis or structure from motion algorithms, thereby strengthening the processing of dynamic stereo images. As far as human vision is concerned, our psychophysical results indicate that a SCOF process does not seem to be used in the perception of 3D structure. This could be accounted for by the poor contribution of convergence signals to the perception of absolute depth in human vision, which seems incompatible with the precise knowledge of the geometry of the viewing system required by the SCOF.