Advanced 3D Video Processing Technologies: Super-Resolution, Chroma-Keying, Depth-Map Generation, and Quality Evaluation

由于电子技术的发展，高清晰度电视和广播在大多数国家已经变得普遍。3D和高分辨率视频所需的所有设施和硬件都已准备就绪，但我们缺乏3D和高分辨率视频内容。大多数现有的视频内容都是标清视频。如果我们能够将现有的标准分辨率视频转换为高分辨率和超高分辨率视频，这将是非常重要、实用和经济的。超分辨率（SR）是一种将原始的低分辨率（LR）图像/视频生成具有清晰细节的高分辨率（HR）图像/视频的技术。在本计划中，我们将研究2D/3D视频超分辨率的先进算法。

Due to the development of electronic technologies, high definition TV and broadcasting have become common in most countries. All the needed facilities and hardware are there ready for 3D and high-resolution videos, but we lack 3D and high-resolution video content. Most existing video content is standard definition video. It would be extremely important, practical, and cost-effective if we could convert existing standard resolution video to high and ultra-high resolution video. Super-resolution (SR) is the technique to generate a high-resolution (HR) image/video with sharp and clear details from its original low-resolution (LR) image/video. In this proposed program, we will research on advanced algorithms on 2D/3D video super-resolution. The chroma-keying is the most widely used compositing technique in photography processing, film making, and television production. Seemingly easy, it is actually extremely difficult to generate satisfactory keying results in different types of studios and for different application setups, due to the uneven background, shading, lighting, transparency, reflection, etc. To date, there are still many difficult issues that need to be solved for 2D image/video keying, and very little has been done to 3D video keying in both academia and industry. Based on the knowledge and experience we have obtained in 2D keying, in this program we will research and develop advanced 3D video keying algorithms. In the proposed research, depth-map generation from 2D and 3D video will be studied, which will enable 2D/3D video conversion and color-depth 3D representation, and provide vital information to chroma-keying and super-resolution, The quality evaluation of super-resolved HR image/video, the chroma-keying, depth-maps, and 3D video will also be studied. Chroma-keying and depth-map generation are mutually dependent. Super-resolution (SR) improves both chroma-keying and depth-map generation; in turn chroma-keying and depth-map can guide super-resolution. Quality evaluation of super-resolution, chroma-keying, depth-map and 3D video is critically important. To respect their own importance and wide applications, we clearly enumerate the four enabling components of 3D video processing in the title: super-resolution, chroma-keying, depth-map generation, and quality evaluation. Just in recent several years, the rapid development of neural network techniques has provided new possibilities for many research fields such as super-resolution, alpha-matting, depth-map generation, and video quality evaluation. In this research program, in addition to conventional techniques, we will also research and develop deep learning based techniques. The proposed research will definitely benefit the academia and industry in autonomous systems & robotics, video broadcasting, film making, image segmentation, object extraction, HDTV, remote sensing, medical imaging, 3D video rendering & coding, etc.