Computer Vision

Spring 2006 15-385,-685

Instructor: S. Narasimhan

Wean 5403
T-R 3:00pm – 4:20pm
Image Formation and Optics

Lecture #2
 Topics to be Covered

• Brief History of Images

• Pinhole and Perspective Projection

• Approximations to Perspective Projection

• Image Formation using Lenses

• Lens related issues

A Brief History of Images 1544

Camera Obscura, Gemma Frisius, 1544

A Brief History of Images 1558
1568

Lens Based Camera Obscura, 1568

 A Brief History of Images 1558
1568

1837

Still Life, Louis Jaques Mande Daguerre, 1837

A Brief History of Images 1558
1568

1837

Silicon Image Detector, 1970

1970
A Brief History of Images 1558
1568

1837

Digital Cameras 1970

1995
Components of a Computer Vision System

Camera

Lighting

Computer

Scene

Scene Interpretation
 Pinhole and the Perspective Projection

Is an image being formed

(x,y) on the screen?
screen

YES! But, not a “clear” one.

scene

image plane
r  ( x, y , z )
y

optical effective focal length, f’ z

axis
pinhole
x

r '  ( x' , y ' , f ' )

r' r x' x y' y

  
f' z f' z f' z
 Pinhole Camera

• Basically a pinhole camera is a box,

with a tiny hole at one end and film
or photographic paper at the other.

• Mathematically: out of all the light

rays in the world, choose the set of
light rays passing through a point
and projecting onto a plane.
 Pinhole Photography

©Charlotte Murray Untitled, 4" x 5" pinhole photograph, 1992

Image Size inversely proportional to Distance

Reading: http://www.pinholeresource.com/
 Pinhole Photography

Wide Field of View and Sharp Image

©Clarissa Carnell, Stonehenge, 5" x 7" Gold Toned Printing-Out Paper Pinhole Photograph, 1986
 Magnification
A( x, y, z )
y B
d B ( x  x, y  y, z )

optical f’ A
z
axis Pinhole
A’
d’ x
planar scene
image plane B’ A' ( x' , y ' , f ' )
B' ( x'x' , y 'y ' , f ' )

From perspective projection: Magnification:

x' x y' y d' (x' ) 2  (y ' ) 2 f'

  m  
f' z f' z d (x) 2  (y ) 2 z

x'x' x  x y 'y ' y  y

  Areaimage
f' z f' z  m2
Area scene
 Orthographic Projection
• Magnification: x'  m x y'  m y
• When m = 1, we have orthographic projection

r  ( x, y , z )

r '  ( x' , y ' , f ' ) y

optical z
axis
x

z
image plane
z

• This is possible only when z  z

• In other words, the range of scene depths is assumed to be
much smaller than the average scene depth.

But, how do we produce non-inverted images?

Better Approximations to Perspective Projection
Better Approximations to Perspective Projection
 Problems with Pinholes

• Pinhole size (aperture) must be

“very small” to obtain a clear image.

• However, as pinhole size is made smaller,

less light is received by image plane.

• If pinhole is comparable to wavelength 

of incoming light, DIFFRACTION blurs
the image!

• Sharpest image is obtained when:

pinhole diameter d 2 f '

Example: If f’ = 50mm,
= 600nm (red),
d = 0.36mm
 Image Formation using Lenses
• Lenses are used to avoid problems with pinholes.
• Ideal Lens: Same projection as pinhole but gathers more light!

i o
P

P’

1 1 1
• Gaussian Thin Lens Formula:  
i o f
• f is the focal length of the lens – determines the lens’s ability to refract light
• f different from the effective focal length f’ discussed before!
 Aperture, F-Number
• Aperture : Diameter D of the lens that is exposed to light.

• F-Number (f/#):

Copyright: © Jared C. Benedict.

• For example, if f is 16 times the pupil diameter, then f/#=f/16.

• The greater the f/#, the less light per unit area reaches the image plane.

• f-stops represent a convenient sequence of f/# in a geometric progression.

 Focus and Defocus

aperture
aperture
Blur Circle, b diameter

i o
i' o'

• Gaussian Law:
1 1 1
  f f
i o f (i 'i )  (o  o ' )
(o' f ) (o  f )
1 1 1
 
i ' o' f
• In theory, only one scene plane is in focus.
 Circle of Confusion

aperture
aperture
Blur Circle, b diameter

i o
i' o'

• Blur Circle Diameter b : Derive using similar triangles

d
b  (i '  i )
i'
 Depth of Field

• Range of object distances

over which image is
sufficiently well focused.

• Range for which blur circle

is less than the resolution
of the sensor.

http://images.dpchallenge.com/images_portfolio/27920/print_preview/116336.jpg
 Depth of Field

Both near and farther scene areas are blurred

 Controlling Depth of Field

Increase Aperture, decrease Depth of Field

www.cambridgeincolour.com/.../depth-of-field.htm
Light Field Camera – Digital Refocusing

Use a microlens array in front of the CCD/Film

Ted Adelson, Wang, MIT; Ren Ng, Marc Levoy, Pat Hanrahan, Stanford
Light Field Camera – Digital Refocusing

Use a microlens array in front of the CCD/Film

Ted Adelson, Wang, MIT; Ren Ng, Marc Levoy, Pat Hanrahan, Stanford
 Optics of a Two Lens System
d

final object
image
i2 f2 o2 i1 f1
o1
image
plane
intermediate
virtual image
lens 2 lens 1

• Rule : Image formed by first lens is the object for the second lens.
• Main Rays : Ray passing through focus emerges parallel to optical axis.
Ray through optical center passes un-deviated.

i2 i1
• Magnification: m
o2 o1
Exercises: What is the combined focal length of the system?
What is the combined focal length if d = 0?
 Lens Vignetting

• Usually brighter at the center and darker at the periphery.

Reading: http://www.dpreview.com
Chromatic Abberations

Reading: http://www.dpreview.com
 Lens Glare

• Stray interreflections of light within the optical lens system.

• Happens when very bright sources are present in the scene.

Reading: http://www.dpreview.com
 Radial Lens Distortions

No Distortion Barrel Distortion Pincushion Distortion

• Radial distance from Image Center:

ru = rd + k1 rd3
Correcting Radial Lens Distortions

Before After

http://www.grasshopperonline.com/barrel_distortion_correction_software.html
Common Lens Related Issues - Summary
Compound (Thick) Lens Vignetting

L3 L2 L1 B
principal planes

 A

nodal points

thickness
more light from A than B !

Chromatic Abberation Radial and Tangential Distortion

ideal actual

FB FG
ideal
FR actual

image plane
Lens has different refractive indices
for different wavelengths.
 Next Class

• Image Sensing
• Horn, Chapter 2
 Biological Cameras

Human Eye Mosquito Eye