The new building in West Cambridge!

Research: In particular we have taken on the challenge of reconstructing three-dimensional models of buildings from sets of two or more still images (see the discussion on three dimensional photography below). The aim is to establish a set of web cams  observing the construction process and recreate a 3D model of the building site (see the discussion of virtual tourism below).

So why are we doing it and why?

Three Dimensional Photography: Suppose that when you used a camera it gave you a 3D model of what you had photographed rather than the normal 2D picture.  The idea of trying to make pictures look more 3D is not new, it was first proposed by Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875) of Wheatstone Bridge fame. In 1838 he presented the theory of stereoscopic vision to the Royal Society. Wheatstone achieved the effect of a 3D photograph using a device known as the stereoscope (An interesting history of photography is here). The thrust of our research is to create a 3D model from a set of still 2D images that you could fly around using a suitable graphics engine on your PC.  This is an interesting but difficult task on these pages we will tell you a little of the successes and problems.

Virtual Tourism: Suppose that you would like to visit somewhere without  traveling? Should you go to the pyramids or Moscow? If a set of web cams were strategically placed then it would be theoretically possible to reconstruct a 3D model of all within their field of view (including moving people and the like). Thus you could virtually walk around the New Years celebration at Time Square or Trafalgar Square without leaving your PC/sofa/bed/friends' party. 

The results: so all of this sounds great, when can you buy one? Unfortunately there are a lot of tough problems to solve, we can succeed with certain types of images but fail with others, this is still an area of research, however take a look at our  virtual reality page to see results.

How is it done?: in the explanation page you will find a brief description of the method, however bear in mind that this is a subject of constant research and so the method is adjusted from time to time!

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