M. Kanbara (Japan), T. Höllerer (USA), and N. Yokoya (Japan)
high dynamic range image, real time processing, multi-camera, exposure time
In this paper, we propose a method for real-time generation of high dynamic range images using multiple cameras. For precise estimation of the light environment, an image with a high dynamic range (HDR) is generally required. HDR image generation is also of interest for real-time applications such as augmented reality or augmented virtuality. Recenty, an HDR camera with a sensitive sensor element (charge-coupled device) was developed. However, it is difficult to completely record a scene with a wide enough dynamic range using the camera because of the limited sensitivity of the sensor. A method for HDR image generation, which uses multiple images captured with different exposure times, has been proposed. However, using this approach, real-time processing is not possible because of the time required to capture multiple images. This paper proposes a method for real-time HDR image generation using multiple cameras, each of which is set to a different exposure time. These cameras can simultaneously capture multiple images with different exposure times, and these images are used to generate an HDR image in real time. We show results of an HDR image generation experiment by use of the proposed method in an environment where the cameras can observe both an outdoor and indoor scene at the same time.
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