Fast edge-based stereo matching algorithm based on search space reduction

The reduction of the search region in stereo correspondence can increase the performance of the matching process, in the context of execution time and accuracy. For edge-based stereo matching, we establish the relationship between the search space and parameters like relative displacement of the edges, the disparity under consideration, the image resolution, the CCD dimensions and the focal length of the stereo system. Then, we propose a novel matching strategy for the edge-based stereo. Afterward, we develop a fast algorithm for edge based-stereo with combination of the obtained matching strategy and the multiresolution technique using the Haar wavelet. Considering conventional multiresolution techniques, we show that the execution time of our algorithm is decreased more than 36%. Moreover, the matching rate and the accuracy are increased. Theoretical investigation and experimental results show that our algorithm has a very good performance, therefore this new algorithm is very suitable for fast edge-based stereo applications like stereo robot vision.