Abstract
Light field (LF) capture and processing are important
in an expanding range of computer vision applications, offering rich textural and depth information and simplification of conventionally complex tasks. Although LF cameras are commercially available, no existing device offers
wide field-of-view (FOV) imaging. This is due in part to
the limitations of fisheye lenses, for which a fundamentally
constrained entrance pupil diameter severely limits depth
sensitivity. In this work we describe a novel, compact optical design that couples a monocentric lens with multiple
sensors using microlens arrays, allowing LF capture with
an unprecedented FOV. Leveraging capabilities of the LF
representation, we propose a novel method for efficiently
coupling the spherical lens and planar sensors, replacing
expensive and bulky fiber bundles. We construct a singlesensor LF camera prototype, rotating the sensor relative
to a fixed main lens to emulate a wide-FOV multi-sensor
scenario. Finally, we describe a processing toolchain, including a convenient spherical LF parameterization, and
demonstrate depth estimation and post-capture refocus for
indoor and outdoor panoramas with 15 × 15 × 1600 × 200
pixels (72 MPix) and a 138° FOV