Study on eye-to-eye contact by multi-viewpoint videos merging system for tele-immersive environment

We consider that eye-to-eye contact during face-to-face communication is important to understand each other in everyday communication. However, 3D display usually requires deflection glasses and a head mount display (HMD), and it is difficult to carry out eye-to-eye contact in such a condition. To support face-to-face communication by group in tele-immersive environment, we constructed 3D display environment using a merged video image obtained from the multi-viewpoint videos merging system set up in the actual space. In this paper, we have conducted experiments on the possibility of eye-to-eye contact by the multi-viewpoint videos merging system with auto-stereoscopic display. From experimental results, we have proved that two estimators could realize eye-to-eye contact at each direction for a gazer on auto-stereoscopic display. In addition, we have showed that it is effective to locate cameras at the center or at the lower half of display in order to feel eye-to-eye contact.