Advanced Calibration for Multiple Projector Systems

数十到数百台数据投影仪全部同步工作，可以创建相当出色的信息显示，例如在商展、大型剧院、主题公园或其他艺术表演中。这样的显示设置可能涉及到在任何数量的复杂的、非平面的环境上进行尖端的、高度创造性的投影，例如映射到建筑物、圆顶和其他三维物体上。这种投影仪的校准异常困难，需要非常精确地知道每个能够照亮给定位置的数据投影仪的像素坐标。目前，每个数据投影仪上都安装了一个或多个非常高分辨率的摄像头，以准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，这极大地限制了这种先进的多投影仪安装的潜在市场。对于我们的工业合作伙伴来说，事实上，他们的很大一部分客户会对在这种复杂配置下操作投影仪感兴趣，如果有工具可以实现这种配置，更多的客户会这样做。在这个项目中，我们的目标是研究和开发一种新的投影仪校准框架，目标是减少成本和时间。特别是，是否可以使用更便宜的(较低分辨率)相机，但仍能在校准时达到必要的精度？作为一个雄心勃勃的扩展，最理想的目标将是使用单个手持移动相机进行系统校准。

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.