Ground plane detection in 3D scenes for an arbitrary camera roll rotation through “V-disparity” representation

In this paper we propose a fast method for detecting the ground plane in 3D scenes for an arbitrary roll angle rotation of a stereo vision camera. The method is based on the analysis of the disparity map and its “V-disparity” representation. First, the roll angle of the camera is identified from the disparity map. Then, the image is rotated to a zero-roll angle position and the ground plane is detected from the V-disparity map. The proposed method was successfully verified on a simulated 3D scene image sequences as well as on the recorded outdoor stereo video sequences. The foreseen application of the method is the sensory substitution assistive device aiding the visually impaired in the space perception and mobility.