arXiv subjects

Sizhuo Ma

Publications and source records attributed to Sizhuo Ma.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Single-Photon Structured Light

We present a novel structured light technique that uses Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) arrays to enable 3D scanning at high-frame rates and low-light levels. This technique, called "Single-Photon Structured Light", works by sensing binary images that indicates the presence or absence of photon arrivals during each exposure; the SPAD array is used in conjunction with a high-speed binary projector, with both devices operated at speeds as high as 20~kHz. The binary images that we acquire are heavily influenced by photon noise and are easily corrupted by ambient sources of light. To address this, we develop novel temporal sequences using error correction codes that are designed to be robust to short-range effects like projector and camera defocus as well as resolution mismatch between the two devices. Our lab prototype is capable of 3D imaging in challenging scenarios involving objects with extremely low albedo or undergoing fast motion, as well as scenes under strong ambient illumination.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2020

Quanta Burst Photography

Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are an emerging sensor technology capable of detecting individual incident photons, and capturing their time-of-arrival with high timing precision. While these sensors were limited to single-pixel or low-resolution devices in the past, recently, large (up to 1 MPixel) SPAD arrays have been developed. These single-photon cameras (SPCs) are capable of capturing high-speed sequences of binary single-photon images with no read noise. We present quanta burst photography, a computational photography technique that leverages SPCs as passive imaging devices for photography in challenging conditions, including ultra low-light and fast motion. Inspired by recent success of conventional burst photography, we design algorithms that align and merge binary sequences captured by SPCs into intensity images with minimal motion blur and artifacts, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and high dynamic range. We theoretically analyze the SNR and dynamic range of quanta burst photography, and identify the imaging regimes where it provides significant benefits. We demonstrate, via a recently developed SPAD array, that the proposed method is able to generate high-quality images for scenes with challenging lighting, complex geometries, high dynamic range and moving objects. With the ongoing development of SPAD arrays, we envision quanta burst photography finding applications in both consumer and scientific photography.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2019

Differential Scene Flow from Light Field Gradients

This paper presents novel techniques for recovering 3D dense scene flow, based on differential analysis of 4D light fields. The key enabling result is a per-ray linear equation, called the ray flow equation, that relates 3D scene flow to 4D light field gradients. The ray flow equation is invariant to 3D scene structure and applicable to a general class of scenes, but is under-constrained (3 unknowns per equation). Thus, additional constraints must be imposed to recover motion. We develop two families of scene flow algorithms by leveraging the structural similarity between ray flow and optical flow equations: local 'Lucas-Kanade' ray flow and global 'Horn-Schunck' ray flow, inspired by corresponding optical flow methods. We also develop a combined local-global method by utilizing the correspondence structure in the light fields. We demonstrate high precision 3D scene flow recovery for a wide range of scenarios, including rotation and non-rigid motion. We analyze the theoretical and practical performance limits of the proposed techniques via the light field structure tensor, a 3x3 matrix that encodes the local structure of light fields. We envision that the proposed analysis and algorithms will lead to design of future light-field cameras that are optimized for motion sensing, in addition to depth sensing.

cs.CV↗