Image based rendering using rational filters

Image based rendering is a powerful technique for 3D object visualization and representation. Using this approach, arbitrary object or scene views are generated automatically from a small set of real reference images. An algorithm for image based rendering using stereo image pairs is presented. The main goal is to produce a realistic 3D 'continuous look-around' effect along the stereo baseline. To minimize the distortion of the reconstructed pixels due to undefined disparity values, a nonlinear interpolator is proposed. It uses the sparse available disparity map to generate a dense field that partially reconstructs original disparity edge information, producing a sharper intermediate view. The identification of occluded and non-occluded areas is also used to aid the view synthesis process. A special treatment for occluded image areas is also considered in the proposed technique. Several computer experiments have been conducted to assess the performance of the presented method.