Apparatus and method for generating image of arbitrary viewpoint using camera array and multi-focus image

An arbitrary viewpoint image generation apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing at least one instruction executed by the processor, wherein the at least one instruction is configured to:

• obtain an original image set of a plurality of original images photographed by a plurality of cameras included in a camera array at each of at least one focal distance at a same time point;
• obtain a multi-focus image set by generating a multi-focus image from the original image set at each of the at least one focal distance;
• and
• generate an arbitrary viewpoint image at a position where a viewpoint is to be moved from the multi-focus image set,
• wherein the obtaining of the multi-focus image set comprises:
• moving each of the original images in parallel as much as a positional coordinate of each corresponding camera included in the camera array;
• and
• generating the multi-focus image by taking an average of the parallel-moved original images.