Recent stereo vision experiments demonstrated the enhancement of depth perception over single line of sight vision for improved vehicular navigation and target acquisition processes. The experiments involves the use of stereo vision headsets connected to visible and 8 - 12 micrometers IR imagers. The imagers were separated by up to 50 m (i.e., wider platform separation than human vision, or hyperstereo) and equipped with telescopes for viewing at ranges of tens of meters up to 4 km. The important findings were: (1) human viewers were able to discern terrain undulations for obstacle avoidance for vehicular navigation, and (2) human viewers were able to detect depth features within the scenes that enhanced the target acquisition process over using monocular or single line of sight viewing. For vehicular navigation improvement, stereo goggles were developed for headset display and simultaneous see through instrumentation viewing for vehicular navigation enhancement. For detection, the depth cues can be used to detect even salient target features.

Date Published: 20 June 1997
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 3062, Targets and Backgrounds: Characterization and Representation III, (20 June 1997);

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3062:
Targets and Backgrounds: Characterization and Representation III
Wendell R. Watkins; Dieter Clement, Editor(s)