3D image reconstruction and human body tracking using stereo vision and Kinect technology

Kinect is a recent technology used for motion detection and human body tracking designed for a video game console. In this study, we explore two different types of 3D image reconstruction methods to achieve a new method for faster and higher quality 3D images. Generating depth perception information using high quality stereo image textures is computationally heavy and inefficient. On the other hand, depth information can be obtained very fast using Kinect but the overall 3D image quality is not refined and it is low resolution. Thus, in this study we explore the combination of higher quality images on a webcam and faster computation of depth information on Kinect in order to create an efficient and enhanced 3D image reconstruction system. This high resolution system has a broad range of applications including 3D motion sensing of human body, hands tracking and finger gestures.