The design of a stereo panorama camera for scenes of dynamic range

Existing stereo panorama cameras do not allow controllability of pictorial/scene composition and stereo acuity (depth levels) over dynamic 3D scene ranges. We specify the design of such a camera allowing this type of flexibility. Previous approaches to design panorama cameras even lack studies with respect to this important aspect, while other design issues such as epipolar geometry, optics optimization, or realization-oriented approximations have been investigated. Without incorporating the controllability into stereo panorama camera design, the poor quality of produced stereo panoramas is foreseeable (e.g. incoherence, cardboard-effect, dipopia etc.). The paper proposes a solution to incorporate controllability into previously discussed (Ishiguro et al., 1992; Wei ei al., 1999; Shum et al., 1999; Peleg et al., 2000) stereo panorama camera models. By using a stereo panorama camera equipped with the designed camera parameters according to our solution, the desired/expected pictorial composition and stereo acuity in resultant stereo panoramas can be ensured.