Enhanced Depth Estimation and 3D Geometry Reconstruction using Bayesian Helmholtz Stereopsis with Belief Propagation

TL;DR

This paper introduces an enhanced Bayesian Helmholtz stereopsis method that leverages belief propagation and a novel smoothness function to improve 3D depth reconstruction accuracy from 2D images.

Contribution

It presents a new Bayesian framework with a specialized smoothness prior and belief propagation for more accurate 3D depth estimation in Helmholtz stereopsis.

Findings

Improved depth map accuracy over traditional Bayesian methods

Reduced RMS error in depth estimation

Demonstrated effectiveness with multiple viewpoint image pairs

Abstract

Helmholtz stereopsis is one the versatile techniques for 3D geometry reconstruction from 2D images of objects with unknown and arbitrary reflectance surfaces. HS eliminates the need for surface reflectance, a challenging parameter to measure, based on the Helmholtz reciprocity principle. Its Bayesian formulation using maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability approach has significantly improved reconstruction accuracy of HS method. This framework enables the inclusion of smoothness priors which enforces observations and neighborhood information in the formulation. We used Markov Random Fields (MRF) which is a powerful tool to integrate diverse prior contextual information and solved the MAP-MRF using belief propagation algorithm. We propose a new smoothness function utilizing the normal field integration method for refined depth estimation within the Bayesian framework. Utilizing three pairs of images with different viewpoints, our approach demonstrates superior depth label accuracy compared to conventional Bayesian methods. Experimental results indicate that our proposed method yields a better depth map with reduced RMS error, showcasing its efficacy in improving depth estimation within Helmholtz stereopsis.