Three dimensional television (3DTV) is believed to be the future of television broadcasting that will replace current 2D HDTV technology. In the future, 3DTV will bring a more life-like and visually immersive home entertainment experience, in which users will have the freedom to navigate through the scene to choose a different viewpoint. A desired view can be synthesized at the receiver side using depth image-based rendering (DIBR). While this approach has many advantages, one of the key challenges in DIBR is generating high quality synthesized views. This work presents novel methods to measure and enhance the quality of 3D videos generated through DIBR. For quality measurements we describe a novel method to characterize and measure distortions by multiple cameras used to capture stereoscopic images. In addition, we present an objective quality measure for DIBR-based 3D videos by evaluating the elements of visual discomfort in stereoscopic 3D videos. We also introduce a new concept called the ideal depth estimate, and define the tools to estimate that depth. Full-reference and no-reference profiles for calculating the proposed measures are also presented. Moreover, we introduce two innovative approaches to improve the quality of the synthesized views generated by DIBR. The first approach is based on hierarchical blending of the background and foreground information around the disocclusion areas which produces a natural looking, synthesized view with seamless hole-filling. This approach yields virtual images that are free of any geometric distortions, unlike other algorithms that preprocess the depth map. In contrast to the other hole-filling approaches, our approach is not sensitive to depth maps with high percentage of bad pixels from stereo matching. The second approach further enhances the results through a depth-adaptive preprocessing of the colored images. Finally, we propose an enhancement over depth estimation algorithm using the depth monocular cues from luminance and chrominance. The estimated depth will be evaluated using our quality measure, and the hole-filling algorithm will be used to generate synthesized views. This application will demonstrate how our quality measures and enhancement algorithms could help in the development of high quality stereoscopic depth-based synthesized videos.

Various data structures have been proposed for representing the connectivity of manifold triangle meshes. For example, the Extended Corner Table (ECT) stores V+6T references, where V and T respectively denote the vertex and triangle counts. ECT supports Random Access and Traversal (RAT) operators at Constant Amortized Time (CAT) cost. We propose two novel variations of ECT that also support RAT operations at CAT cost, but can be used to represent and process Simplicial 2-Complexes (S2Cs), which may represent star-connecting, non-orientable, and non-manifold triangulations along with dangling edges, which we call sticks. Vlist stores V+3T+3S+3(C+S-N) references, where S denotes the stick count, C denotes the number of edge-connected components and N denotes the number of star-connecting vertices. Ering stores 6T+3S+3(C+S-N) references, but has two advantages over Vlist: the Ering implementation of the operators is faster and is purely topological (i.e., it does not perform geometric queries). Vlist and Ering representations have two principal advantages over previously proposed representations for simplicial complexes: (1) Lower storage cost, at least for meshes with significantly more triangles than sticks, and (2) explicit support of side-respecting traversal operators which each walks from a corner on the face of a triangle t across an edge or a vertex of t, to a corner on a faces of a triangle or to an end of a stick that share a vertex with t, and this without ever piercing through the surface of a triangle.

This research focuses on the development of polymer microfabrication technologies for the realization of two major components of a pneumatic tactile display: a microactuator array and a complementary microvalve (control) array. The concept, fabrication, and characterization of a kinematically-stabilized polymeric microbubble actuator (¡°endoskeletal microbubble actuator¡±) were presented. A systematic design and modeling procedure was carried out to generate an optimized geometry of the corrugated diaphragm to satisfy membrane deflection, force, and stability requirements set forth by the tactile display goals. A refreshable Braille cell as a tactile display prototype has been developed based on a 2x3 endoskeletal microbubble array and an array of commercial valves. The prototype can provide both a static display (which meets the displacement and force requirement of a Braille display) and vibratory tactile sensations. Along with the above capabilities, the device was designed to meet the criteria of lightness and compactness to permit portable operation. The design is scalable with respect to the number of tactile actuators while still being simple to fabricate. In order to further reduce the size and cost of the tactile display, a microvalve array can be integrated into the tactile display system to control the pneumatic fluid that actuates the microbubble actuator. A piezoelectrically-driven and hydraulically-amplified polymer microvalve has been designed, fabricated, and tested. An incompressible elastomer was used as a solid hydraulic medium to convert the small axial displacement of a piezoelectric actuator into a large valve head stroke while maintaining a large blocking force. The function of the microvalve as an on-off switch for a pneumatic microbubble tactile actuator was demonstrated. To further reduce the cost of the microvalve, a laterally-stacked multilayer PZT actuator has been fabricated using diced PZT multilayer, high aspect ratio SU-8 photolithography, and molding of electrically conductive polymer composite electrodes.

El modelat d'escenes és clau en un gran ventall d'aplicacions que van des de la generació mapes fins a la realitat augmentada. Aquesta tesis presenta una solució completa per a la creació de models 3D amb textura. En primer lloc es presenta un mètode de Structure from Motion seqüencial, a on el model 3D de l'entorn s'actualitza a mesura que s'adquireix nova informació visual. La proposta és més precisa i robusta que l'estat de l'art. També s'ha desenvolupat un mètode online, basat en visual bag-of-words, per a la detecció eficient de llaços. Essent una tècnica completament seqüencial i automàtica, permet la reducció de deriva, millorant la navegació i construcció de mapes. Per tal de construir mapes en àrees extenses, es proposa un algorisme de simplificació de models 3D, orientat a aplicacions online. L'eficiència de les propostes s'ha comparat amb altres mètodes utilitzant diversos conjunts de dades submarines i terrestres. / Scene modeling has a key role in applications ranging from visual mapping to augmented reality. This thesis presents an end-to-end solution for creating accurate, automatic 3D textured models, with contributions at different levels. First, we discuss a method developed within the framework of sequential Structure from Motion, where a 3D model of the environment is maintained and updated as visual information becomes available. The technique is more accurate and robust than state-of-the-art 3D modeling approaches. We also develop an online effcient loop-closure detection algorithm, allowing the reduction of drift and uncertainties for mapping and navigation. Inspired from visual bag-of-words, the technique is entirely sequential and automatic. Lastly, motivated by the need to map large areas, we propose a 3D model simplification oriented towards online applications. We discuss the efficiency of the proposals and compare them with state-of-the-art approaches, using a series of challenging datasets both in underwater and outdoor scenarios.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 50).

Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, / Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-88). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Piyush Kumar, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Computer Science. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 7, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 45 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

O movimento relativo entre superfícies planas de contato são comuns a muitos projetos de engenharia. Na operação de muitos mecanismos identificam-se os problemas de atrito como um dos principais obstáculos para o êxito do funcionamento desses dispositivos. Neste trabalho avaliou-se a influência da pressão nominal de contato no atrito estático entre superfícies de aço ABNT 1020 e 1045 contra uma placa de vidro. As superfícies dos corpos de prova foram obtidas através do Processo de Fabricação por Usinagem Com Ferramenta de Geometria Não Definida – Retificação Plana Tangencial. Os corpos de prova foram constituídos de dois grupos: o Grupo A (tipo copo - ABNT1010) e do Grupo B (tipo Maciço - ABNT1045). Todas as superfícies foram caracterizadas quanto à rugosidade, utilizando-se um perfilômetro 3-D óptico sem contato. Para as medições do atrito estático foi utilizado um sistema plano inclinado, com automatização para detecção dos movimentos dos corpos de prova ao longo do tempo. Demonstrou-se que a pressão nominal não influencia os valores de coeficiente de atrito estático. Investigou-se a partir de então, um possível efeito da rugosidade no atrito. A partir dos parâmetros de rugosidade 3D foram calculados os momentos espectrais m0, m2 e m4, e o Parâmetro Largura de Banda, Alfa (α) que foi correlacionado com o coeficiente de atrito estático. Dentro dos parâmetros analisados: Sq, Sdq e Sds, o parâmetro Sq foi o que apresentou a maior discrepância entre os dados coletados. Com base na análise estatística de variância com nível de confiança de 5%, do parâmetro Sq, as amostras foram realocadas em 4 grupos para os quais foram calculados os Parâmetros Alfa. Considerando-se estes grupos de amostras, mostrou-se que o parâmetro alfa afetou o coeficiente de atrito estático, ou seja, quanto maior o parâmetro, maior o coeficiente de atrito estático. / The relative movement among flat surfaces in contact is common for many engineering projects. During the operation of many mechanisms, friction problems are identified as a main obstacle to the successful performance of them. In this study the influence of nominal pressure contact on static friction between steel surfaces (ABNT 1020 and 1045) and glass plate is evaluated. The specimens‘ surfaces were obtained by means of a manufacturing process classified as machining with undefined tool – tangential plane grinding. The specimens were constituted by two groups: the group A (type cup – ABNT1010) and the group B (type compact – ABNT1045). All specimens were characterized with respect to surface roughness, using a 3-D optical non-contact profilometer. For static friction measurements, an inclined plan system was used, with an automated detection of movements of specimens along time. The nominal contact pressure not has any effect on the values of static friction coefficient. Since then, a possible effect of surface roughness on friction was investigated. The spectral moments m0, m2 and m4, and the bandwidth parameter, Alpha (α), were calculated from the 3-D roughness parameters, and this latter was correlated with static friction coefficient. Within the analyzed parameters: Sq, Sdq and Sds, the Sq parameter presented the largest discrepancy within the sampling data. Based on the statistical analysis of variance, with a confidence level of 5%, of Sq parameter, the specimens were relocated into 4 groups, for which we calculated alpha parameter. Considering these groups, we demonstrated that the alpha parameter affected the static friction coefficient, that is, the higher this parameter, the greater the static friction coefficient.

Orientadores: Inacio Maria Dal Fabbro, Celina de almeida / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T14:46:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_MarcosValerioGebrada_M.pdf: 5359194 bytes, checksum: e831ae3ea9b56a4d77ebb1a53f2352da (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A medição de sólidos tridimensionais tem recebido uma grande atenção da comunidade científica, devido à sua ampla gama de aplicações. Como por exemplo, no controle de qualidade industrial, na medição do corpo humano para aplicações de ergonomia, e muitas outras áreas. Porém existem diversos métodos e técnicas para se obter tais medições, este trabalho demonstra a técnica de moiré que é uma técnica sem contato e não destrutiva, com um rápido processo de digitalização cujos fenômenos de Franjas de Moiré são o resultado da subtração da projeção de grades sobre um certo objeto com relação as grades projetadas em um plano referencial. Possui medição precisa comparável com a de outros sistemas. Demonstra também a exatidão das técnicas de moiré, sendo dado maior enfoque na técnica de moiré de projeção com deslocamento de fase, e pela utilização de dois tipos de grades a de Ronchi e senoidal, onde são observados os possíveis erros das diversas técnicas de moiré e por outros métodos metrológicos. Neste trabalho foi comprovado o melhor desempenho dos tipos e variação da frequência de grades incluindo vários exemplos práticos da sua aplicação em sólidos regulares e irregulares (frutos), comparação com outras técnicas em vários problemas em engenharia agrícola e determinação volumétrica de sólidos regulares e irregulares. Emprego de "softwares" gratuitos o qual também foi uma preocupação para disseminação da técnica, tais como ImageJ, RisingSun Moiré, SCILAB/SIP e rotinas / Abstract: Measurement of three-dimensional solids has received great attention from the scientific community due to its wide range of applications. As examples in can be mentioned industrial quality control, human body measurement applied to ergonomics and many other areas. The pertinent literature discloses several methods and techniques to carry three dimensional measurements. Moiré technique is a group of non-contact and non-destructive methods based on the more phenomena which fringes are the result of the subtraction of the grid projected onto the surface under study and the grid projected onto a reference plane. Moiré methods are yield accurate measurements if compared to other measuring systems. This work was foccused on the projection moiré technique with phase shift, and the use of two types of grids named Ronchi and sinusoidal one. Metrological errors of various techniques as compared with the moiré method have been determined as well. This work demonstrated the best performance of grid frequency variation through several practical applied to regular and irregular solids (fruits). Body dimensions were compared with convention techniques as water immersion and calypper. The application of free software such as ImageJ, RisingSun Moire, Scilab / SIP and routines was considered very useful to reach the final results / Mestrado / Maquinas Agricolas / Mestre em Engenharia Agrícola

Recent applications in three-dimensional (3-D) presentation of information has emphasized the use of field-sequential stereoscopic CRT displays. The usefulness of stereopsis to present depth information has been studied in terms of performance measures such as search time, search accuracy, and subjective image quality ratings. Few, if any, studies have been conducted to investigate the influence of stereopsis upon cognitive workload. This dissertation is a description of two experiments using 3-D images presented on a Tektronix SGS 620 field-sequential stereoscopic CRT. Comparisons were made between presentations incorporating monocular cues only (2 1/2-D) and scenes containing monocular cues plus retinal disparity (3-D). In the first experiment, 11 participants were required to make inter-elements distance judgments under conditions of varying perspective angle, scene complexity, and depth cues while performing an interval production task. Accuracy was found to be significantly enhanced by the addition of retinal disparity as well as by decreases in the complexity of the presented scene. Cognitive workload increased significantly with increases in scene complexity, but no significant difference in workload was found between the stereoscopic and non-stereoscopic presentation formats. The second experiment investigated the effects of stereopsis on target identification under varying conditions of background complexity, target coding schemes, number of elements, signal-to-noise ratio, and depth cues. Accuracy measures, response time, and workload ratings were degraded by increases in scene background complexity, signal:noise ratio, and number of elements. Target coding methods which incorporated color were found to be significantly better than those in which targets were identified by shape only. No significant difference was found between 2 1/2-D and 3-D presentation for any of the dependent measures. The results indicate that retinal disparity it most appropriate for tasks, such as determination of object location in depth, in which the additional information provided by the depth cue is directly related to the task. Retinal disparity provides the most benefit for depth judgment tasks involving highly complex scenes. In cases of very simple tasks or simple scenes, the addition of retinal disparity is contra-indicated. / Ph. D.