Stereoscopic imaging apparatus

A stereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising:

• an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a first image and a second image different from the first image in exposure time;
• a brightness correction unit configured to correct brightness of one of the acquired first and second images;
• a parallax calculation unit configured to calculate parallax from one of the images corrected by the brightness correction unit and the other images and to output a parallax image and parallax information;
• a combination image generation unit configured to combine the acquired first and second images together to generate a wide dynamic range image based on selected image regions of the first image and second image and the parallax information, and to output the generated wide dynamic range image;
• an image selector unit configured to select any of the first image, the second image different from the first image in exposure time, the parallax image, and the wide dynamic range image and to output the selected image to an image processor;
• and
• an image determination unit configured to receive the first image, the second image different from the first image in exposure time, and the wide dynamic range image and to select one of the received images based on requirements of an imaging process to be performed by the image processor and to output the selection of one of the first image, the second image different from the first image in exposure time, and the wide dynamic range image to the image selector unit, wherein
• the image determination unit is configured to determine exposure times of imaging devices such that a bright image and a dark image can be captured, based on outside factor information input from an outside factor unit, and to output the determined exposure times to the imaging devices.