Pushing the limits of stereo using variational stereo estimation

• Published in: 2012 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium pp. 401 - 407
• Main Authors: Ranftl, Rene, Gehrig, Stefan, Pock, Thomas, Bischof, Horst
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-06-2012
• Subjects: Accuracy; Cameras; Estimation; Lighting; Optimization; Robustness; Stereo vision
• ISBN: 9781467321198; 1467321192
• ISSN: 1931-0587; 2642-7214
• DOI: 10.1109/IVS.2012.6232171

We examine high accuracy stereo estimation for binocular sequences that where obtained from a mobile platform. The ultimate goal is to improve the range of stereo systems without altering the setup. Based on a well-known variational optical flow model, we introduce a novel stereo model that features a second-order regularization, which both allows sub-pixel accurate solutions and piecewise planar disparity maps. The model incorporates a robust fidelity term to account for adverse illumination conditions that frequently arise in real-world scenes. Using several sequences that were taken from a mobile platform we show the robustness and accuracy of the proposed model.