Method and program for extracting silhouette image and method and program for constructing three dimensional model

A program for extracting a number of silhouettes representing the object from a number of object images which an object and a background are captured and a number of background images which only a background is captured comprising:

• a first extract means for extracting a number of first silhouettes from a number of said object images and a number of said background images by a background subtraction;
• a first construct means for constructing first visual hull from a number of said first silhouettes by a shape from silhouette method;
• a second construct means for constructing second visual hull by process to repair missed parts and/or to remove unwanted regions in first visual hull;
• and
• a second extract means for extracting a number of second silhouettes from said second visual hull.

A method for constructing visual hull from a number of object images which an object and a background are captured and a number of background images which only a background is captured comprising:

• a first extract step of extracting a number of first silhouettes from a number of said object images and a number of said background images by a background subtraction;
• a first construct step of constructing first visual hull from a number of said first silhouettes by a shape from silhouette method;
• a second construct step of constructing second visual hull by process to repair missed parts and/or to remove unwanted regions in first visual hull;
• a second extract step of extracting a number of second silhouettes from said second visual hull;
• and a third construct step of constructing third visual hull from a number of said second silhouettes by the shape from silhouette method.

A program for constructing visual hull from a number of object images which an object and a background are captured and a number of background images which only a background is captured comprising:

• a first extract means for extracting a number of first silhouettes from a number of said object images and a number of said background images by a background subtraction;
• a first construct means for constructing first visual hull from a number of said first silhouettes by a shape from silhouette method;
• a second construct means for constructing second visual hull by process to repair missed parts and/or to remove unwanted regions in first visual hull;
• a second extract means for extracting a number of second silhouettes from said second visual hull;
• and
• a third construct means for constructing third visual hull from a number of said second silhouettes by the shape from silhouette method.