Images of a reference object for detecting each camera position are captured by cameras 14, 16 and the relative position between the cameras 14 and 16 is obtained by using the captured images. Then, a target 18 is placed on a turntable 10 onto which reference marks 10a for detecting position are formed, and while the turntable 10 is rotated, images are captured by the cameras 14 and 16. Based on the reference marks 10a on the turntable 10, the positional relationship between the camera 14 and th...

Provided is a method and apparatus for representation and rendering of three-dimensional still and animated objects, using Binary Volumetric Octree. The three-dimensional object representation based on depth images, requiring relatively small storage space and allowing for fast and high quality rendering. Original data of a three-dimensional object are converted into Binary Volumetric Octree (BVO) format, where color is attributed to each BVO vertex corresponding to coordinates of points belongi...

Animation data is produced in a data processing system that has storage, a processor, a visual display (102) and a manual input device (103). A simulated three-dimensional world-space is displayed to a user and an animatable actor is displayed in the world-space. First input data is received from a user specifying a desired location and orientation of the actor to which the actor is to animate towards from a starting location. The processor is instructed to generate first animation data using a ...

Sprite identification in animated sequences is achieved by performing three separate but related procedures, namely (i) identification of the sprite, (ii) identification of the background and (iii) identification of the identified sprite's translation path. By analyzing a sequence of frames, sprite definition is first established. Then, using the definition of the sprite, a determination is made of the background image and translation path taken. This analysis allows the animated sequence to be ...

Disclosed herein are a method for generating volume data from images of an object viewed from diverse view points. This method comprises the steps of: (a) in each of discrete coordinate positions within a coordinate system for rendering a volume, obtaining a value corresponding to the distance to the boundary of a viewed volume defined by the contour of the image of said object and by the point of view of said image; and (b) in each of said coordinate positions, on the basis of a plurality of sa...

There is provided a method for augmented reality guided instrument positioning. A graphics guide is determined for positioning an instrument that provides a substantially unobstructed view of the instrument during the positioning. The graphics guide is rendered in alignment with a predetermined path to be traversed during the positioning of the instrument.

A method of visualizing the impact of security flaws or breaches in a network. A 3-D visualization tool that simulates 3-D space on a monitor interfaces with a security database which relationally associates security events with the network elements affected thereby. The security events are visually depicted in a first section of simulated 3-D space and the network elements are depicted in a second section of simulated 3-D space. Relationship lines are drawn between displayed categories of secur...

An omnidirectional video camera captures images of the environment while moving along several intersecting paths forming an irregular grid. These paths define the boundaries of a set of image loops within the environment. For arbitrary viewpoints within each image loop, a 4D plenoptic function may be reconstructed from the group of images captured at the loop boundary. For an observer viewpoint, a strip of pixels is extracted from an image in the loop in front of the observer and paired with a s...

An apparatus is disclosed for producing an animation of a group including a plurality of members which are dynamically controlled. The apparatus includes a role assignment switchboard for assigning roles to the respective members of the group so as to achieve a layout specifying a particular group-level state; an optimum continuous controller for continuously determining the states of the respective members in a reference state in which the roles of the respective members are assigned by the rol...

A photo realistic talking head creation system and method comprising: a template; a video camera having an image output signal of a subject; a mixer for mixing the template and the image output signal of the subject into a composite image, and an output signal representational of the composite image; a prompter having a partially reflecting mirror therebetween the video camera and the subject, an input for receiving the output signal of the mixer representational of the composite image, the part...