Omnidirectional environmental projection mapping with single projector and single spherical mirror

Abstract

Researchers have developed virtual reality environments to provide audience with more visually immersive experiences than previously possible. One of the most popular solutions to build the immersive VR space is a multi-projection technique. However, utilization of multiple projectors requires large spaces, expensive cost and accurate geometry/color calibration among projectors. This paper present a novel omnidirectional projection system with single projector and single spherical mirror. We newly designed the simple and intuitive user interface to define the shape of environment and the relative position of mirror/projector. For successful image projection, our optimized omnidirectional image generation step solves image distortion from the spherical mirror and calibration problem produced by unknown parameters such as the shape of environment and the relative position between mirror and projector. Additionally, the focus and color correction are performed to improve the quality of the projection. The experiment results show that our method can generate optimized image from normal panoramic image for omnidirectional projection in a rectangular space.