Apparatus and method for calculating cost volume in stereo matching system including illuminator

An apparatus for calculating a cost volume in a stereo matching system including an illuminator comprising:

• an illuminator controller configured to calculate a pixel intensity ratio of a received stereo image, compare the pixel intensity ratio and a predetermined intensity ratio, generate a general cost volume calculation command or a per-disparity level cost volume calculation command, and controls the illuminator;
• a pixel expected ratio calculator configured to obtain a camera parameter by performing a camera calibration, calculate a disparity value through the obtained camera parameter, and generate an expected intensity ratio of a pixel according to distance for each disparity level from the calculated disparity value;
• and
• a cost volume calculator configured to apply a predetermined parameter or different parameters for each disparity level based on the expected intensity ratio of the pixel according to distance for each disparity level according to the received cost volume calculation command for the received image, and calculate a cost volume value.