Combining Two Kinects To Make Better 3D Video 106
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Soulskill
from the this-is-what-happens-when-yo dept.
from the this-is-what-happens-when-yo dept.
suraj.sun sends this quote from Engadget about improving the Kinect 3D video recordings we discussed recently:
"[Oliver Kreylos is] blowing minds and demonstrating that two Kinects can be paired and their output meshed — one basically filling in the gaps of the other. He found that the two do create some interference, the dotted IR pattern of one causing some holes and blotches in the other, but when the two are combined they basically help each other out and the results are quite impressive."
Re:This is immense... (Score:3, Informative)
With this true 3D rendering of an object, you can zoom, focus, and more importantly pan around objects in the scene, in real time.
Er, if neither of the Kinect cameras is focused on the background, then it's going to be blurry no matter what.
Assuming we're talking about a recording, you'd be able to move the virtual camera, but you wouldn't be able to bring things into focus that were not in focus in the recording.
What this gives you is a 3D model, with an many textures mapped onto it as there are cameras.
Re:Anybody in optics? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Anybody in optics? (Score:3, Informative)
It is definitely possible to use some narrow bandpass filters. In the infrared region there are various filters for available that have a wavelength window of 10 nm at 1000 nm. These filters are not available at Walmart, but they are not too costly either. Depending on size, quality, wavelength and other parameters you should be able to buy some for $50 (Thorlabs).
To actually hack the Kinect you have to test, whether there are other infrared filters used and if the camera is sensitive enough at different wavelengths. I don't think the properties of the reflecting materials should be of any concern. The reflection of materials in a household room should not change for a small frequency difference in the infrared region.
Using a time-multiplex approach with shutters or just software which switches the cameras on and off might work well in theory but should be rather impractical to do without significant changes to the Kinect hardware.
Re:Polarizing filters! (Score:4, Informative)
Unfortunately, this wouldn't work very well. Light tends to lose its polarization somewhat when it bounces off of things. In a theater that's OK because you can use a special screen that maintains the polarization. Band limiting each kinect would be more effective than polarization (and would also scale better - polarization only allows for 2 kinects; the bandpass idea would only be limited by how good your filters are).
Basic Webcam (Score:2, Informative)