Computer Vision Foundations · free preview

The Pinhole Camera and Perspective

The pinhole camera as the minimal imaging device, the perspective equations from similar triangles, and the three coordinate systems an image lives in.

1. A box that keeps one ray per point

A box that keeps one ray per point

2. Similar triangles give the projection

Similar triangles give the projection

3. Distant objects shrink

Distant objects shrink

4. Three coordinate systems

Three coordinate systems

5. Doubling the depth

A camera has focal length f=10f = 10. A square sign of world width X=4X = 4 is photographed first at depth Z=4Z = 4 and then at depth Z=8Z = 8. What happens to the sign's image width under perspective projection?

6. Reading the pixel map

A camera's pixel map is n=−ax+n0n = -ax + n_0 with a=100a = 100 pixels per unit and n0=320n_0 = 320. A feature lands at virtual-plane coordinate x=−1.5x = -1.5. Which statement about the feature's pixel column is correct?

7. Projecting a world point

A pinhole camera has focal length f=50f = 50. A world point sits at (X,Y,Z)=(30,10,150)(X, Y, Z) = (30, 10, 150). Using the perspective projection x=fX/Zx = fX/Z, compute the point's camera coordinate xx and write it as a decimal.

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