Advanced Calibration for Multiple Projector Systems

数十到数百台数据投影仪同步工作，可以创建非常出色的信息显示，例如在贸易展、大型剧院、主题公园或其他艺术表演中。 这种显示设置可能涉及到尖端的、高度创造性的投影到任何数量的复杂的、非平面的背景上，例如映射到建筑物、圆顶和其他三维物体上。 目前，一个或多个非常高分辨率的摄像机安装在每个数据投影仪上，以精确地看到该数据投影仪负责的照明场景。 摄像机价格昂贵，校准过程缓慢且耗时，极大地限制了这种先进的多投影机安装的潜在市场。对于我们的工业合作伙伴来说，他们的大部分客户实际上都对在这种复杂配置中操作投影机感兴趣，在这个项目中，我们的目标是研究和开发一个新的投影仪校准框架，其目的是降低成本和时间。 特别是，是否可以使用更便宜（分辨率更低）的摄像机，但仍能达到必要的校准精度？ 作为一个雄心勃勃的扩展，最理想的目标将是执行系统校准与一个单一的手持移动的相机。

Dozens to hundreds of data projectors, all working in synchrony, could create quite remarkable information displays, such as at tradeshows, large-scale theatre, theme parks, or other artistic performances. Such a display setup may involve cutting-edge, highly creative projection onto any number of complex, non-flat contexts, such as mapping onto buildings, domes, and other three dimensional objects.The calibration of such projectors is exceptionally difficult, requiring that the pixel coordinate be quite precisely known for each data projector able to illuminate a given location. Currently one or more very high-resolution cameras are mounted on each data projector, to see precisely the illuminated scene for which this data projector is responsible. The cameras are expensive and the process of calibration is slow and time-consuming, significantly limiting the potential markets for such advanced multi-projector installations.For our industrial partner, a significant fraction of their customers would, in fact, be interested in operating projectors in such complex configurations, and more would do so if the tools to enable such configurations were available.In this project we aim to research and develop a novel framework for projector calibration, with goals of reducing cost and time. In particular, could cheaper (lower resolution) cameras be used, but still achieving the necessary accuracy in calibration? As an ambitious extension, the most desirable goal would be to perform system calibration with a single hand-held mobile camera.