Wide-angle stereoscopic vision with cameras having different parameters

A stereoscopic vision system for analyzing information about a scene, the system comprising:

• a. a first camera having a plurality of first imaging parameters and a first capture position relative to the scene, the first camera being configured to capture a first output image of the scene;
• b. a second camera having a plurality of second imaging parameters and a second capture position relative to the scene, the second camera being configured to capture a second output image of the scene, the first and second capture positions being different from each other, one or more of the first imaging parameters being different from a corresponding one or more of the second imaging parameters, the first and second output images being different from each other according to the differing first and second capture positions and the one or more differing first and second imaging parameters;
• c. a processing unit connected to the first and second cameras, the processing unit being configured to:
• i. receive the first and second output images from respective first and second cameras, and
• ii. process the first and second output images according to a geometrical difference due to parallax from the first and second capture positions and according to any remaining differences due to the one or more differing first and second imaging parameters, in order to analyze the scene,
• wherein the one or more differing first and second imaging parameters includes a difference in camera distortion profiles between the first and second cameras creating a difference in output resolution of at least 10% in angular resolution between the first and second cameras for at least one angular field.

A method of processing captured images of a scene in a stereoscopic vision system having a first camera and a second camera, the method comprising:

• a. receiving, by a processing unit, a first output image of the scene from the first camera, the first camera having a plurality of first imaging parameters and a first capture position relative to the scene;
• b. receiving, by the processing unit, a second output image of the scene from the second camera, the second camera having a plurality of second imaging parameters and a second capture position relative to the scene, the first and second capture positions being different from each other, one or more of the first imaging parameters being different from a corresponding one or more of the second imaging parameters, the first and second output images being different from each other according to the differing first and second capture positions and the one or more differing first and second imaging parameters;
• and
• c. processing, by the processing unit, the first and second output images according to a geometrical difference due to parallax from the first and second capture positions and according to any remaining differences due to the one or more differing first and second imaging parameters,
• wherein the one or more differing first and second imaging parameters includes a difference in camera distortion profiles between the first and second cameras creating a difference in output resolution of at least 10% in angular resolution between the first and second cameras for at least one angular field.