High-resolution panoramic movie generation from video streams acquired by an omnidirectional multi-camera system

Telepresence systems using an omnidirectional image sensor enable us to experience remote sites with rich sensation. An omnidirectional multi-camera system is more useful for acquiring high-resolution omnidirectional images of outdoor scenes than a monocular camera system. However, exact calibration of the camera system is necessary to generate a panoramic movie. In this paper, we describe a panoramic movie generation method based on geometric and photometric calibration of the omnidirectional multi-camera system. A prototype of a telepresence system is also shown as applications of generated panoramic movies. This high-resolution telepresence system has been proven to enable us to experience remote sites with rich presence.