Mesh-based 3D Textured Urban Mapping

In the era of autonomous driving, urban mapping represents a core step to let vehicles interact with the urban context. Successful mapping algorithms have been proposed in the last decade building the map leveraging on data from a single sensor. The focus of the system presented in this paper is twofold: the joint estimation of a 3D map from lidar data and images, based on a 3D mesh, and its texturing. Indeed, even if most surveying vehicles for mapping are endowed by cameras and lidar, existing mapping algorithms usually rely on either images or lidar data; moreover both image-based and lidar-based systems often represent the map as a point cloud, while a continuous textured mesh representation would be useful for visualization and navigation purposes. In the proposed framework, we join the accuracy of the 3D lidar data, and the dense information and appearance carried by the images, in estimating a visibility consistent map upon the lidar measurements, and refining it photometrically through the acquired images. We evaluate the proposed framework against the KITTI dataset and we show the performance improvement with respect to two state of the art urban mapping algorithms, and two widely used surface reconstruction algorithms in Computer Graphics.Comment: accepted at iros 201

Variable Resolution & Dimensional Mapping For 3d Model Optimization

Three-dimensional computer models, especially geospatial architectural data sets, can be visualized in the same way humans experience the world, providing a realistic, interactive experience. Scene familiarization, architectural analysis, scientific visualization, and many other applications would benefit from finely detailed, high resolution, 3D models. Automated methods to construct these 3D models traditionally has produced data sets that are often low fidelity or inaccurate; otherwise, they are initially highly detailed, but are very labor and time intensive to construct. Such data sets are often not practical for common real-time usage and are not easily updated. This thesis proposes Variable Resolution & Dimensional Mapping (VRDM), a methodology that has been developed to address some of the limitations of existing approaches to model construction from images. Key components of VRDM are texture palettes, which enable variable and ultra-high resolution images to be easily composited; texture features, which allow image features to integrated as image or geometry, and have the ability to modify the geometric model structure to add detail. These components support a primary VRDM objective of facilitating model refinement with additional data. This can be done until the desired fidelity is achieved as practical limits of infinite detail are approached. Texture Levels, the third component, enable real-time interaction with a very detailed model, along with the flexibility of having alternate pixel data for a given area of the model and this is achieved through extra dimensions. Together these techniques have been used to construct models that can contain GBs of imagery data

Relating Multimodal Imagery Data in 3D

This research develops and improves the fundamental mathematical approaches and techniques required to relate imagery and imagery derived multimodal products in 3D. Image registration, in a 2D sense, will always be limited by the 3D effects of viewing geometry on the target. Therefore, effects such as occlusion, parallax, shadowing, and terrain/building elevation can often be mitigated with even a modest amounts of 3D target modeling. Additionally, the imaged scene may appear radically different based on the sensed modality of interest; this is evident from the differences in visible, infrared, polarimetric, and radar imagery of the same site. This thesis develops a `model-centric\u27 approach to relating multimodal imagery in a 3D environment. By correctly modeling a site of interest, both geometrically and physically, it is possible to remove/mitigate some of the most difficult challenges associated with multimodal image registration. In order to accomplish this feat, the mathematical framework necessary to relate imagery to geometric models is thoroughly examined. Since geometric models may need to be generated to apply this `model-centric\u27 approach, this research develops methods to derive 3D models from imagery and LIDAR data. Of critical note, is the implementation of complimentary techniques for relating multimodal imagery that utilize the geometric model in concert with physics based modeling to simulate scene appearance under diverse imaging scenarios. Finally, the often neglected final phase of mapping localized image registration results back to the world coordinate system model for final data archival are addressed. In short, once a target site is properly modeled, both geometrically and physically, it is possible to orient the 3D model to the same viewing perspective as a captured image to enable proper registration. If done accurately, the synthetic model\u27s physical appearance can simulate the imaged modality of interest while simultaneously removing the 3-D ambiguity between the model and the captured image. Once registered, the captured image can then be archived as a texture map on the geometric site model. In this way, the 3D information that was lost when the image was acquired can be regained and properly related with other datasets for data fusion and analysis

A vision-based yarn scanning system

A new charge coupled device (CCD) linescan camera based yarn data acquisition system for textile yarn characterisation is reported. An interface scheme for the Fairchild CAM 1350 linescan camera to a Motorola M68000 single-board computer, with a parallel data link to an IBM-PC, is described. Yarn analysis software is developed to allow investigation of different yarn characteristics. The results demonstrate applicability as a fast laboratory investigative tool and show further promise for the technique to be extended to full yarn processing speeds allowing on-line monitoring and control of the yarn production processes

Aspects of Synthetic Vision Display Systems and the Best Practices of the NASA's SVS Project

NASA s Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) Project conducted research aimed at eliminating visibility-induced errors and low visibility conditions as causal factors in civil aircraft accidents while enabling the operational benefits of clear day flight operations regardless of actual outside visibility. SVS takes advantage of many enabling technologies to achieve this capability including, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS), data links, radar, imaging sensors, geospatial databases, advanced display media and three dimensional video graphics processors. Integration of these technologies to achieve the SVS concept provides pilots with high-integrity information that improves situational awareness with respect to terrain, obstacles, traffic, and flight path. This paper attempts to emphasize the system aspects of SVS - true systems, rather than just terrain on a flight display - and to document from an historical viewpoint many of the best practices that evolved during the SVS Project from the perspective of some of the NASA researchers most heavily involved in its execution. The Integrated SVS Concepts are envisagements of what production-grade Synthetic Vision systems might, or perhaps should, be in order to provide the desired functional capabilities that eliminate low visibility as a causal factor to accidents and enable clear-day operational benefits regardless of visibility conditions

The Fractured Memory of a Mind’s Eye

The work I create is informed by questioning reality/identity, the fractalizing planes of existence our essence occupies, and the artifacts of memory experience navigating through space time. While existing in this realm of oversaturated media and neon glow, I question the effects of pervasive data systems overloading or programming the mental software we possess. My work includes humor as a means of exploring these conventions while also displaying psychedelic surrealist imagery to help break away from the conscious prison this existence births our concept apparatuses within

Transport-Based Neural Style Transfer for Smoke Simulations

Artistically controlling fluids has always been a challenging task. Optimization techniques rely on approximating simulation states towards target velocity or density field configurations, which are often handcrafted by artists to indirectly control smoke dynamics. Patch synthesis techniques transfer image textures or simulation features to a target flow field. However, these are either limited to adding structural patterns or augmenting coarse flows with turbulent structures, and hence cannot capture the full spectrum of different styles and semantically complex structures. In this paper, we propose the first Transport-based Neural Style Transfer (TNST) algorithm for volumetric smoke data. Our method is able to transfer features from natural images to smoke simulations, enabling general content-aware manipulations ranging from simple patterns to intricate motifs. The proposed algorithm is physically inspired, since it computes the density transport from a source input smoke to a desired target configuration. Our transport-based approach allows direct control over the divergence of the stylization velocity field by optimizing incompressible and irrotational potentials that transport smoke towards stylization. Temporal consistency is ensured by transporting and aligning subsequent stylized velocities, and 3D reconstructions are computed by seamlessly merging stylizations from different camera viewpoints.Comment: ACM Transaction on Graphics (SIGGRAPH ASIA 2019), additional materials: http://www.byungsoo.me/project/neural-flow-styl