Cost-effective multi-camera array for high quality video with very high dynamic range

Joachim Keinert, Marcus Wetzel, Michael Schöberl, Peter Schäfer, Frederik Zilly, Michel Bätz, Siegfried Fößel, André Kaup

Abstract: Temporal bracketing can create images with higher dynamic range than the underlying sensor. Unfortunately, moving objects cause disturbing artifacts. Moreover, the combination with high frame rates is almost unachiev­ able since a single video frame requires multiple sensor readouts. The combination of multiple synchronized side-by-side cameras equipped with different attenuation filters promises a remedy, since all exposures can be performed at the same time with the same duration using the playout video frame rate. However, a disparity correction is needed to compensate the spatial displacement of the cameras. Unfortunately, the requirements for a high quality disparity correction contradict the goal to increase dynamic range. When using two cameras, disparity correction needs objects to be properly exposed in both cameras. In contrast, a dynamic range in­crease needs the cameras to capture different luminance ranges. As this contradiction has not been addressed in literature so far, this paper proposes a novel solution based on a three camera setup. It enables accurate de­ termination of the disparities and an increase of the dynamic range by nearly a factor of two while still limiting costs. Compared to a two camera solution, the mean opinion score (MOS) is improved by 13.47 units in average for the Middleburry images.