Stereoscopic image rendering based on depth maps created from blur and edge information

Depth image based rendering (DIBR) is suited for 3D-TV and for autostereoscopic multiview displays. With DIBR, each 2D image captured with a camera at a given position has an associated depth map. This map is used to process the original 2D image so as to generate new images as if they were taken from different camera viewpoints. In the present study we examined the depth and image quality of stereoscopic 3D images that were generated using surrogate depth maps, that is, maps that were created using blur and edge information from the original 2D images. Depth maps were created with three different methods. Formal subjective assessments indicated that the stereoscopic images thus created have enhanced depth quality, with a marginal loss in image quality, when compared to the original non-stereoscopic images. This finding of enhanced depth is surprising because the surrogate depth maps contained limited depth information and mainly at object boundaries. We speculate that the visual system combines the information from pictorial depth cues and from depth interpolation between object boundaries and edges to arrive at an overall perception of depth. The methods for creating the depth maps for stereoscopic imaging that were investigated in this study might be used in applications where depth accuracy is not critical.