Depth Estimation in Image Sequences in Single-Camera Video Surveillance Systems

Abstract

Depth estimation plays a key role in numerous applications, including video surveillance, target tracking, robotics or medicine. The standard method of obtaining depth information is to use stereovision systems, which require at least two cameras. In some applications this is a big hindrance because of dimensions, costs or power consumption. Therefore, there is a need to develop an efficient method of depth estimation that can be applied in single-camera vision systems. In the literature several techniques to accomplish this task can be found. However, they require either modification of the camera (in the mirror-based methods) or changing the parameters of the lens (in the focus-based methods). In this paper a new method based on image sequences from cameras with standard fixed-focal-length and fixed-focus lens is presented. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.