Real-time pickup method for a three-dimensional image based on integral photography

TLDR

Integral photography creates three‑dimensional autostereoscopic images. The study investigates a new method that uses a television camera to directly capture many real images from a lens array. The method replaces the film behind the lens array with a television camera to capture moving pictures, and the authors examined optical factors influencing image pickup relative to conventional IP. The new direct pickup method yields IP images comparable to conventional IP, and an experiment with a high‑definition TV camera confirmed autostereoscopic image production using a liquid‑crystal panel and pinholes.

Abstract

We studied integral photography (IP), which creates three-dimensional autostereoscopic images. In particular we studied the possibility of a new method that uses a television camera to shoot directly numerous real images produced by a lens array. Unlike the conventional IP method in which the film is placed immediately behind a lens array, this method employs a television camera, which enables us to shoot moving pictures. Of a number of factors affecting the process of image pickup, we examined some optical factors and compared them with those obtained by the conventional IP method. The results show that with this new direct pickup method that uses a television camera, we can obtain an IP image like those obtained by using the conventional IP method. Further, we conducted an experiment with an high-definition TV camera, confirming the production of an autostereoscopic image by using a display device that combines a liquid-crystal panel and pinholes.