Photo and Video Panorama

Would you like to use your digtal camera to take a few pictures or pan a video of a scene, and then stitch those pictures or the video clip into a panoramic photo? Researchers at the Imaging Technology Dept. of HP Labs are developing automatic stitching technology and software that can make this process much easier and faster, while delivering high quality panoramic photos. Our objective is to enable users to capture a wide angle scene of as much as 360 degrees without any specialized or expensive equipments.

In the past years, HPL has been working on technologies related to panorama stitching. Recently, we have developed new algorithms to improve the stitching results, including:

• a new method that decides a stitch curve based on minimizing discrepancies in the image alignment, which will avoid cutting through moving objects,
• exposure correction and blending methods that blend image seamlessly,
• integration with HPL video super resolution technology that improves video panorama quality.

For more technical details, please refer to the following paper:

Y. Deng and T. Zhang, “Generating Panorama Photos,” Proc. of SPIE Internet Multimedia Management Systems IV, vol. 5242, ITCOM, Orlando, Sept. 2003. (pdf download)

HPL panorama technology and software have been used in the latest HP products. The HP photosmart R707 camera has a new in-camera panorama preview feature. It gives users instant gratification on the set of panorama pictures they have just taken. The panorama feature is also integrated into the HP Gallery software that is bundled with HP imaging products.

Check out some personal panorama photos generated by the researchers.

For more information about HPL panorama technology, please contact Yining Deng (yining.deng@hp.com) at Imaging Technology Dept., HP Labs.