Case for support : Perceptually Realistic Environments for Architectural Planning and Visual Impact Assessment

计算机生成的高保真增强现实可视化拟议的建筑开发可以在帮助观众了解视觉对环境的影响方面发挥重要作用，特别是在敏感位置。这种互动的可视化有可能极大地改善最初的设计过程，以及随后的规划申请和公众咨询过程。目前缺乏可靠的自动方法获取现场环境几何图形，以及实时生成高保真渲染的性能要求，这意味着到目前为止，此类技术在建筑行业内的采用一直受到限制。拟议的研究代表了计算机视觉、高保真渲染和实时3D增强现实技术的独特融合，只有通过合作伙伴的优势组合才能实现。我们将在宽基线图像、基于图像的照明和实时全球照明领域开发的新技术，将根据我们的工业合作伙伴Napper Architects和English Heritage的实际建筑应用程序的需求而定。我们的技术将基于适用于为敏感开发项目提供视觉影响评估的混合现实应用程序的严格保真度要求。研究计划包括四个工作包，它们将被整合以提供一个原型演示系统，该系统将支持：自动创建开发地点的准确3D计算机模型，不同设计和照明场景的互动实验，以及公众对拟议开发项目的视觉影响的互动探索。该系统将在整个项目的多个阶段得到广泛验证，使用与静止图像、视频片段、实地实况数据和公众咨询相结合的比较。在这个项目的生命周期内，我们的工业合作伙伴Napper Architects将参与一个小型的、定义敏感的英国遗产建筑项目。这些项目的模型和数据将作为测试案例提供。除了这个项目的新研究成果和原型软件外，我们还将开发新的保真度指标，以造福于建筑、规划和咨询社区。

Computer-generated high-fidelity augmented reality visualisations ofproposed architectural developments can play a significant role inhelping a viewer understand the visual impact on the environment,especially in sensitive locations. Such interactive visualisations havethe potential to greatly improve both the initial design process, and thesubsequent planning application and public consultation processes. Thecurrent lack of robust automatic methods for acquisition of site contextgeometry, together with the performance demands of producinghigh-fidelity renderings in real-time, has meant the adoption of suchtechniques within the architectural industry has, to date, been limited.The proposed research represents a unique confluence of computer vision,high-fidelity rendering, and real-time 3D augmented reality techniques,only possible through the combination of strengths of the partners. Thenovel techniques we will develop in the areas of automaticreconstruction from wide-baseline images, image-based lighting, andreal-time global illumination, will be scoped by the demands of a realarchitectural application with our industrial partner Napper Architects,and English Heritage. Our techniques will be informed by the stringentfidelity requirements of a mixed-reality application suited to providingvisual impact assessment for sensitive developments.The research plan comprises four work packages which will be integratedto deliver a prototype demonstrator system which will support: theautomatic creation of an accurate 3D computer model of the developmentsite, interactive experimentation with different design and lightingscenarios, and interactive exploration by the general public of thevisual impact of the proposed development. The system will beextensively validated at a number of stages throughout the project usinga combination of comparisons with still images, video footage,ground-truth data and public consultation. During the lifetime of thisproject, our industrial partner Napper Architects will be engaged in asmall and defined sensitive architectural project with English Heritage.Models and data from these will be made available as a test case. Inaddition to the novel research outcomes, and prototype software fromthis project, we will develop new fidelity metrics for the benefitof the architectural, planning, and consultation communities.