Spherically-arranged imaging array having pairs of cameras with overlapping fields of view
There is provided an all-celestial imaging apparatus enabling imaging of images that enable estimation of depth information relating to an object to be imaged by suppressing any generation of occlusion. An all-celestial imaging apparatus that is an aspect of the present technique includes plural imaging parts each arranged being directed in a direction different from that of each other, and the plural imaging parts are arranged such that all imaging ranges on at least one circumference of the imaging ranges by the plural imaging parts are each overlapped by angles of view of two or more pairs of the imaging parts. The present technique is applicable to, for example, an all-celestial camera imaging images that are used in the case where the depth information on a distance to an object to be imaged that may be present in an optional direction of all azimuth directions of 360° is estimated.
1. An all-celestial imaging apparatus comprising:
a plurality of imaging parts, each imaging part of the plurality of imaging parts being arranged in a direction different from that of other imaging parts of the plurality of imaging parts, wherein
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged such that all imaging ranges on at least one circumference of imaging ranges by the plurality of imaging parts are each overlapped by angles of view of two or more pairs of the plurality of imaging parts,
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged being stacked on each other in at least two or more tiers, and
in a case a vertical angle of view is set to be λ for angles of view of two imaging parts of the plurality imaging parts located adjacent to each other in an up-and-down direction in the at least two or more tiers to overlap each other by 50% or more at a distance equal to or larger than a shortest distance t enabling calculation of depth information that indicates a distance to an object to be imaged, a distance d between the two imaging parts is set based on the vertical angle of view and the shortest distance t.
2. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged such that an imaging range exceeding a shortest imaging distance of each imaging part of the plurality of imaging parts is overlapped by the angles of view of two or more pairs of the plurality of imaging parts.
3. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged such that all directions of 360° of a sphere centering the all-celestial imaging apparatus are each overlapped by angles of view of two or more pairs of the plurality of imaging parts.
4. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged such that all directions of 360°, excluding a portion of an outside surface of the all-celestial imaging apparatus, are each overlapped by angles of view of two or more pairs of the plurality of imaging parts.
5. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged such that all directions of 360°, excluding at least one of a top portion or a bottom portion of an outside surface of the all-celestial imaging apparatus, are each overlapped by angles of view of two or more pairs of the plurality of imaging parts.
6. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged being stacked on each other in the at least two or more tiers such that all the imaging ranges on at least one circumference of the imaging ranges by the plurality of imaging parts are each overlapped by angles of view of two or more pairs of the plurality of imaging parts.
7. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of imaging parts are arranged such that an angle β of view of the imaging part, an arrangement radius r from a center of the all-celestial imaging apparatus to the plurality of imaging parts, the shortest distance t enabling calculation of depth information that indicates the distance to the object to be imaged, and a deemed angle θ of view of the imaging part seen from the center of the all-celestial imaging apparatus satisfy a relational equation (2)
[
Math
.
2
]
(
r
+
t
)
sin
θ
2
sin
β
2
cos
β
2
+
2
(
r
+
t
)
sin
θ
4
cos
(
π
2
-
θ
4
)
=
t
(
2
)
(
r
+
t
)
sin
θ
2
tan
β
2
+
2
(
r
+
t
)
sin
θ
4
sin
θ
4
=
t
(
r
+
t
)
2
tan
θ
4
tan
β
2
1
+
tan
2
θ
4
+
(
r
+
t
)
(
1
-
cos
θ
2
)
=
t
2
(
r
+
t
)
tan
β
2
tan
θ
4
-
(
r
+
t
)
(
1
-
tan
2
θ
4
)
+
r
(
1
+
tan
2
θ
4
)
=
0
(
2
r
+
t
)
tan
2
θ
4
+
2
(
r
+
t
)
tan
β
2
tan
θ
4
-
t
=
0
tan
θ
4
=
-
(
r
+
t
)
±
(
r
+
t
)
2
+
t
(
2
r
+
t
)
tan
2
+
β
2
(
2
r
+
t
)
tan
β
2
.
8. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
depth information that indicates a distance to an object to be imaged is calculated based on images imaged by a pair of the plurality of imaging parts whose angles of view overlap on each other.
9. The all-celestial imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , in the case the vertical angle of view is set to be λ for angles of view of the two imaging parts of the plurality imaging parts located adjacent to each other in the up-and-down direction in the at least two or more tiers to overlap each other by 50% or more at the distance equal to or larger than the shortest distance t, the distance d between the two imaging parts is set to be d=t*tan (λ/2) or smaller.