We live in a three-dimensional world. And yet, most images-think of maps and photos-are still 2D.
Imagine the uses for high-quality, real-world 3D imagery: navigation, emergency response, national defense, agriculture, environmental science, public safety, entertainment, tourism, transportation, municipal planning-these are only a few of the areas that could benefit.
In fact, the market for 3D technology could reach $20 billion by 2015, according to industry analysts.
To build on research in this promising field, RIT's Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science (CIS) has teamed up with three industry partners to create the Consortium for 3D Innovation. The consortium is funded through a $1 million National Science Foundation Accelerating Innovation Research (AIR) grant and matching funds from corporate partners Exelis, Pictometry International, and Lockheed Martin.
"We are developing novel, semi-automated methods to extract 3D models from remote-sensing information," says Jan van Aardt, principal investigator and associate professor in the Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing group in CIS. "While 3D imaging has been available, producing the images has been labor-intensive and, therefore, expensive. We are focusing on increasing the automation, geographical extent, and quantifiable content for measuring 3D objects."
Creation of the 3D images involves use of 2D images captured using various remote-sensing techniques, such as airplane-mounted cameras and LIDAR (light detection and ranging). By using a large number of overlapping images, high-quality 3D is possible.
"This is beautiful data," says van Aardt. "We've all seen 3D movies; this is better, a 3D bird's-eye view with high-quality actual images. It's very exciting."
The RIT group includes scientists Carl Salvaggio, John Kerekes, and David Messinger, project manager Mike Richardson, and graduate students in the Center for Imaging Science, who will focus on 3D algorithm and product development. They will be joined by professor Hans-Peter Bischoff and students in computer science from RIT's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information and Sciences who are working on coding of the algorithms for translation to industry partners' product workflows. Richard DeMartino, director of RIT's Simone Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship, will direct students from the E. Philip Saunders College of Business working on market analysis for potential 3D products.
Noah Snavely from Cornell University's Computer Science Department has partnered with RIT to provide his expertise in generating 3D images from multiview 2D imagery. Snavely is co-inventor of the technology used in Microsoft's Photosynth.
This multidisciplinary team is focused on very specific goals: development of useful technology that can be put into practical use as soon as possible.
"NSF and our partners want to see impact," says van Aardt. "There's a need for these products, both in terms of markets and societal impacts-it's a win-win."
