Stereoscopic vision system

In this investigation, an optical system is introduced for inspecting the interiors of confined spaces, such as the walls of containers, cavities, reservoirs, fuel tanks, pipelines, and the gastrointestinal tract. The optical system wirelessly transmits stereoscopic video to a computer that displays the video in realtime on the screen, where it is viewed with shutter glasses. To minimize space requirements, the videos from the two cameras (required to produce stereoscopic images) are multiplexed into a single stream for transmission. The video is demultiplexed inside the computer, corrected for fisheye distortion and lens misalignment, and cropped to the proper size. Algorithms are developed that enable the system to perform these tasks. A proof-of-concept device is constructed that demonstrates the operation and the practicality of the optical system. Using this device, tests are performed assessing validities of the concepts and the algorithms. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.