Creating image-based VR using a self-calibrating fisheye lens

Image-based virtual reality is emerging as a major alternative to the more traditional 3D-based VR. The main advantages of the image-based VR are its photoquality realism and 3D illusion without any 3D information. Unfortunately, creating content for image-based VR is usually a very tedious process. This paper proposes to use a non-perspective fisheye lens to capture the spherical panorama with very few images. Unlike most of camera calibration in computer vision, self-calibration of the fisheye lens poses new questions regarding the parameterization of the distortion and wrap-around effects. Because of its unique projection model and large field of view (near 180 degrees), most of the ambiguity problems in self-calibrating a traditional lens can be solved trivially. We demonstrate that with four fisheye lens images, we can seamlessly register them to create the spherical panorama, while self-calibrating its distortion and field of view.