Light Field Virtual View Rendering Based on EPI⁃Representations

[Abstract] Image⁃Based Rendering (IBR) is one powerful approach for generating virtual views. It can provide convincing animations without an explicit geometric representation. In this paper, several implementations of light field rendering are summarized from prior arts. Several characteristics, such as the regular pattern in Epipolar Plane Images (EPIs), of light field are explored with detail under 1D parallel camera arrangement. It is proved that it is quite efficient to synthesize virtual views for Super Multi⁃View (SMV) application, which is in the third phase of Free⁃Viewpoint Television (FTV). In comparison with convolutional stereo matching method, in which the intermediate view is synthesized by the two adjacent views, light field rendering makes use of more views supplied to get the high⁃quality views.

[Keywords] depth estimate; Epipolar Plane Image (EPI); light field; view synthesis