Real‐time construction and visualisation of drift‐free video mosaics from unconstrained camera motion. Issue 8 (4th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brzeszcz, Mateusz; Breckon, Toby P.
• Is Part Of: Journal of engineering. Volume 2015:Issue 8(2015)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 240
• Publication Date: 2015-08-04
• Subjects: data visualisation -- image segmentation -- video signal processing -- image motion analysis -- redundancy -- video cameras -- image representation -- image texture -- optimisation -- image colour analysis -- automatic gain control; video mosaicing -- drift free mosaic construction -- visualisation -- integrated frame blending -- redundancy management -- unconstrained camera motion -- in‐sequence loop closing -- camera focal distance -- video sequence -- image frame management -- temporally dense input video frame -- spatial overlap -- dynamic mosaic representation -- overlapping textured graphics primitive -- mosaic image reconstruction -- subsequent optimisation -- bundle adjustment -- online interframe blending -- illumination variation -- colour variance -- automatic gain control -- modern camera hardware -- video mosaic construction -- indoor environments -- outdoor environments -- in‐scene motion; Engineering -- Periodicals; Engineering; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 620.005
• DOI: 10.1049/joe.2015.0016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2051-3305

Abstract

Abstract : This work proposes a novel approach for real‐time video mosaicking facilitating drift‐free mosaic construction and visualisation, with integrated frame blending and redundancy management, that is shown to be flexible to a range of varying mosaic scenarios. The approach supports unconstrained camera motion with in‐sequence loop closing, variation in camera focal distance (zoom) and recovery from video sequence breaks. Real‐time performance, over extended duration sequences, is realised via novel aspects of frame management within the mosaic representation and thus avoiding the high data redundancy associated with temporally dense, spatially overlapping video frame inputs. This managed set of image frames is visualised in real time using a dynamic mosaic representation of overlapping textured graphics primitives in place of the traditional globally constructed, and hence frequently reconstructed, mosaic image. Within this formulation, subsequent optimisation occurring during online construction can thus efficiency adjust relative frame positions via simple primitive position transforms. Effective visualisation is similarly facilitated by online inter‐frame blending to overcome the illumination and colour variance associated with modern camera hardware. The evaluation illustrates overall robustness in video mosaic construction under a diverse range of conditions including indoor and outdoor environments, varying illumination and presence of in‐scene motion on varying computational platforms.