Systems and methods for estimating depth from projected texture using camera arrays

A camera array, comprising:

• at least two two-dimensional arrays of cameras comprising a first two-dimensional array of cameras and a second two-dimensional array of cameras, each comprising a plurality of cameras, wherein a horizontal baseline between the at least two two-dimensional arrays of cameras is larger than a vertical baseline between cameras within each array of cameras;
• an illumination system configured to illuminate a scene with a projected texture;
• a processor;
• memory containing an image processing pipeline application and an illumination system controller application;
• wherein the illumination system controller application directs the processor to control the illumination system to illuminate a scene with a projected texture;
• wherein the image processing pipeline application directs the processor to:
• utilize the illumination system controller application to control the illumination system to illuminate a scene with a projected texture;
• capture a set of images of the scene illuminated with the projected texture;
• determining depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from a reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, wherein generating a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint comprises:
• identifying pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths along a plurality of epipolar lines aligned at different angles, wherein disparity observed along a first epipolar line corresponding to a horizontal baseline between a camera in the first two-dimensional array of cameras and a camera in the second two-dimensional array of cameras is greater than disparity observed along a second perpendicular epipolar line between at least two cameras within at least one of the two-dimensional arrays of cameras;
• comparing the similarity of the corresponding pixels identified at each of the plurality of depths;
• and
• selecting the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint.