Computational Transient Imaging: Instrumentation, Image Formation Models, Inverse Methods, and Applications

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Matthias Hullin
• Subject Area: Image and Language Processing, Computer Graphics and Visualisation, Human Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous and Wearable Computing
• Term: from 2015 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 263273705

The relatively young research direction of transient imaging deals with the time-resolved capture of non-stationary light distribution on macroscopic scales, or "videos of light in flight". Transient images are expected to enable a deeper understanding of, and elegant solutions to, many problems in computer vision, just as impulse responses have proven a versatile and valuable tool in the sciences and engineering. To date, the acquisition of transient images required very expensive and highly sensitive optical devices (ultrashort pulse lasers and streak cameras) and thus was reserved to a few highly specialized laboratories. The proposed project is based on our own development of a reconstruction technique of transient images from opto-electronical correlation measurements that are readily available from lock-in image sensors found in time-of-flight range cameras. The goal of our work is to better understand this alternative hardware platform for transient imaging, and to find answers to the following central questions:How can transient images be measured at a higher resolution, in shorter time and at reduced hardware cost? How can existing models and numerical methods make better use of the data sparsity inherent to transient signals, in order to obtain more reliable reconstructions? How can multi-path image formation models be inverted to solve long-standing computer vision problems? Which new application opportunities emerge astransient imaging becomes widely available?With this project, we will address all of these questions in an interdisciplinary way, with computation as the key enabler.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France, Saudi Arabia
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Wolfgang Heidrich; Professor Dr. Ivo Ihrke; Professor Dr. Reinhard Klein