Security monitoring around a video surveillance car with a pair of two-camera omni-directional imaging devices

3D vision-based methods for security monitoring around a video surveillance car using a pair of newly-designed two-camera omni-directional imaging devices affixed on the car roof are proposed. The methods may be used for monitoring the neighboring area and any passer-by approaching the car. First, the design principle of the new two-camera omni-directional imaging device is described. Each device consists of two omni-cameras with their optical axes vertically aligned. Then, a new analytic technique of 3D data acquisition using the camera system based on the use of the pano-mapping method and the rotational invariance property of the omni-camera is proposed. A technique for constructing top-view images and merging them into wider-area integrated ones as well as a technique for constructing perspective-view images of any directions are also proposed. Furthermore, a method for detecting a suspicious passer-by around the car automatically, locating his/her position around the car, and computing his/her body height is proposed as well. Good experimental results show the feasibility of the proposed methods.