Rendering optimizations guided by head-pose estimates and their uncertainty

Abstract

In virtual environments, head pose and/or eye-gaze estimation can be employed to improve the visual experience of the user by enabling adaptive level of detail during rendering. In this study, we present a real-time system for rendering complex scenes in an immersive virtual environment based on head pose estimation and perceptual level of detail. In our system, the position and orientation of the head are estimated using stereo vision approach and markers placed on a pair of glasses used to view images projected on a stereo display device. The main innovation of our work is the incorporation of uncertainty estimates to improve the visual experience perceived by the user. The estimated pose and its uncertainty are used to determine the desired level of detail for different parts of the scene based on criteria originating from physiological and psychological aspects of human vision. Subject tests have been performed to evaluate our approach. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.