With the recent proliferation of high-quality 360° photos and video, consumers of
virtual reality (VR) media have come to expect photorealistic immersive content. Most
360° VR content, however, is captured with monoscopic camera rigs and inherently fails
to provide users with a sense of 3D depth and 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) mobility. As a
result, the medium is significantly limited in its immersive quality. This thesis aims to demonstrate how content creators can further bridge the gap between 360° content and
fully immersive real-world VR simulations. We attempt to design a method that
combines monoscopic 360° image capture with 3D reconstruction -- taking advantage of
the best qualities of both technologies while only using consumer-grade equipment. By
mapping the texture from panoramic 360° images to the 3D geometry of a scene, this
system significantly improves the photo-realism of 3D reconstructed spaces at specific
points of interest in a virtual environment. The technical hurdles faced during the course of this research work, and areas of further work needed to perfect the system, are discussed in detail. Once perfected, a user of the system should be able to simultaneously appreciate visual detail in 360-degrees while experiencing full mobility, i.e., to move around within the immersed scene.Bachelor of Art
