Range Estimation From Focus Using a Non-frontal Imaging Camera

摘要

This paper is concerned with active sensing of range information from focus. It describes a new type of camera whose image plane is not perpendicular to the optical axis as is standard. This special imaging geometry eliminates the usual focusing need of image plane movement. Camera movement, which is anyway necessary to process large visual fields, integrates panning, focusing, and range estimation. Thus the two standard mechanical actions of focusing and panning are replaced by panning alone. Range estimation is done at the speed of panning. An implementation of the proposed camera design is described and experiments with range estimation are reported.