Maximum likelihood estimation of depth field for trinocular images

In this reported work, the maximum likelihood estimation of the depth field from a trinocular imaging system is considered. Conventional stereo pairs are able to extract depth information from image changes only along the epipolar line, but the use of three cameras in an `L` shape allows one to utilise any change, irrespective of its orientation. The estimate is obtained by maximising the sum of the cross-correlations computed along the orthogonal epipolar lines. Theoretical assessment of the achievable performance based on Fisher`s information is also included. Simulation results have validated the mathematical framework and the performance analysis.