Apparatus and method to record a 360 degree image

A method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of mapping functions corresponding to a plurality of wide angle lenses, wherein a mapping function in the plurality of mapping functions comprises a transformation, wherein when the transformation is applied to a distorted image associated with a wide angle lens in the plurality of wide angle lenses the transformation produces an undistorted image;
• receiving a first plurality of images corresponding to a first plurality of cameras, and a second plurality of images corresponding to a second plurality of cameras, wherein at least one image in the first plurality of images and the second plurality of images comprises the distorted image;
• determining a pixel correspondence between the first image in the first plurality of images and the second image in the second plurality of images, based on an overlap area associated with the first image and the second image;
• and
• combining the first plurality of undistorted images and the second plurality of undistorted images to obtain an undistorted 360° image.

A system comprising:

• a wide angle lens;
• a normal lens;
• a processor;
• a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform a computer-implemented operation, the instructions comprising:
• instructions for determining a distortion associated with the wide angle lens by recording with the wide angle lens a distorted image of a first scene, and recording with the normal lens an image of the first scene, wherein the wide angle lens and the normal lens are oriented in substantially the same direction;
• instructions for recording a distorted image of a second scene with the wide angle lens and an image of the second scene with the normal lens, wherein the wide angle lens and the normal lens are oriented in different directions;
• instructions for rectifying the distorted image of the second scene recorded by the wide angle lens based on the distortion associated with the wide angle lens;
• and
• instructions for combining the rectified image and the image of the second scene into a wide field of view image.