Severin Todt

Raycasting of light field galleries from volumetric data

The paper describes a technique to generate high‐quality light field representations from volumetric data. We show how light field galleries can be created to give unexperienced audiences access to interactive high‐quality volume renditions. The proposed light field representation is lightweight with respect to storage and bandwidth capacity and is thus ideal as exchange format for visualization results, especially for web galleries.

Spherical light field rendering in application for analysis by synthesis

This paper presents a novel approach for object classification and pose estimation which employs spherical light field rendering to generate virtual views based on the synthesis parameters determined and successively refined in a two-stage analysis by synthesis process. Compared with previous object recognition techniques, the presented approach provides a significant improvement in terms of object classification quality and computational efficiency. Our Graphics Processing Unit based light field renderer exploits per-pixel depth information available with modern Time-Of-Flight sensors like the Photonic Mixer Device camera for high-quality image synthesis in real-time. The renderer uses combined per-pixel RGB and depth values to minimise ghosting artefacts to a non-noticeable amount and employs a spherical parameterisation to ensure full 6 d.f. for virtual view synthesis. Synthetic views are used in our two-stage analysis by synthesis technique which implements a pre-classification and pre-pose-estimation to reduce parameter search space, thus, providing improved object classification quality at less computation time.

GPU-Based Spherical Light Field Rendering with Per-Fragment Depth Correction

Image‐based rendering techniques are a powerful alternative to traditional polygon‐based computer graphics. This paper presents a novel light field rendering technique which performs per‐pixel depth correction of rays for high‐quality reconstruction. Our technique stores combined RGB and depth values in a parabolic 2D texture for every light field sample acquired at discrete positions on a uniform spherical setup. Image synthesis is implemented on the GPU as a fragment program which extracts the correct image information from adjacent cameras for each fragment by applying per‐pixel depth correction of rays.

Real time fusion of range and light field images

This poster presents preliminary results of our approach to interactively acquire, process and render corresponding depth and light field information. Our system is based on a handheld image based range sensor in combination with a commodity digital RGB camera facilitating the synchronous acquisition of registered image data. We demonstrate our intermediate system including the ability to simultaneously acquire and process range and greyscale image data and interactively transforming and rendering the data to geometry.

Immersive Rear Projection on Curved Screens

We present a new VR installation at the University of Siegen, Germany. It consists of a 180° cylindrical rear-projection screen and a front-projection floor, allowing both immersive VR applications with user tracking and convincing presentations for a larger audience.

An Interactive Exploration of the Virtual Stronghold Dillenburg

This paper presents the results of an interdisciplinary project aiming at the virtual three-dimensional reconstruction of the stronghold Dillenburg, which has been completely destroyed in 1768. For an interactive virtual exploration, a high-quality 3D model was generated in close cooperation between local historians and scientists from the field of Computer Graphics based on a collection of ancient text documents, drawings and floor plans. Computer animations were generated and assembled in a DVD product for comfortable access to the virtual fortress. For the exhibition in the museum Dillenburg, a real-time application was developed for on site virtual exploration. Provided with a touch screen for interaction and a wide-screen display system, visitors can intuitively explore the virtual reconstruction and access supplemental historical background material on demand. With the multimedia installation we present a new experience which empowers visitors of the museum to explore an historical site freely at their own preferences and encourages younger audience to show more interest in cultural heritage.

Light Field Rendering for Games

This paper studies the problem of integrating high-quality light field rendering into state-of-the-art real-time computer games. We present a complete production pipeline for generation of light fields from arbitrary complex 3D content using commercial 3D modeling software commonly used in the gaming industry. We show how recent advances in light field rendering techniques can be used to composite light fields with dynamic scene content. The results demonstrate the potential of light fields as a valuable extension to polygonal rendering techniques by employing accurate silhouette reconstruction and correct per-pixel depth values for scene composition. Level of detail techniques are applied to light fields to optimize rendering performance. Dynamic light field rendering is implemented to account for animation, deformation and varying lighting conditions.