Configuration of virtual cameras for ground based 360° three-dimensional display

Most technologies provide three-dimensional (3D) display in the front of screens which are in parallel with the walls, and the sense of immersion is decreased. To get the right ground based 3D imaging, cameras’ imaging planes should be parallel to the public focus plane, and the cameras’ optical axes should be shifted to the center of the public focus plane in both vertical and horizontal directions. Virtual cameras are used to display 3D model in computer system. Two virtually capturing methods for ground based 3D display are presented. The position of virtual camera is determined by the observer's eye positions in the real world. When the observer stands in the displayed circumcircle on the ground, off-axis perspective projection virtual cameras are used. If the observer stands out the circumcircle, offset perspective projection virtual cameras and the orthogonal projection virtual cameras are adopted. An experimental system for ground based 360° 3D display is demonstrated for viewing horizontally, which provides high-immersion 3D visualization. The displayed heights are compared with the measured results.