Image Based Rendering And A Virtual Campus Navigation System

Because the Internet is able to deliver dynamic, graphic information, a virtual tour of the campus can be made possible to allow people to get a feel for the look of the campus without needing to visit in person.Image Based Rendering (IBR) is a new method that has been widely used in creating a virtual reality system. It is preferred over the traditional 3D geometry modeling and rendering technology that has its limitations on rendering quality and scene complexity. IBR is based on the theory and method of computer vision and image processing, and it uses photo-realistic renderings and warping. It is appealing since natural scenes, which are very difficult to model using traditional 3D geometry modeling, can be acquired semi-automatically using cameras and other devices. Also IBR has a potential to create high-quality output images if the rendering stage can preserve the quality of the reference images.This thesis is focused on panoramic images, view interpolation and image morphing in IBR. Many methods and algorithms have been studied and compared. An improved algorithm is introduced for stitching multiple source images to produce a single output image. This new approach overcomes some of the disadvantages of previous methods. This algorithm can effectively eliminate the impact of light and color difference on the matching of two images, and reduce the possibility of mismatch. Also, this algorithm does not have intensive computing involved. It works well for almost all pictures with common characteristics. The algorithm can be easily and efficiently implemented.This thesis also analyzes view interpolation method, provides calculation method for depth of viewpoint and interpolation of intermediate images. Thismethod reduces number of original images needed and produces smooth transitions between images.This thesis proposes using cylindrical panoramic images combined with view interpolation to create a campus navigation system. The structure of the system and flow chart of the working process are provided.