Systems and methods for measuring depth using an array of independently controllable cameras

A camera array, comprising:

• an array camera module comprising:
• an imager array including an array of focal planes, where each focal plane includes a plurality of rows of pixels that also forms a plurality of columns of pixels, and each focal plane is contained within a region of the imager that does not contain pixels from another focal plane;
• and
• an optic array including an array of lens stacks, where each lens stack creates an optical channel that forms an image of the scene on an array of pixels within a corresponding focal plane;
• a processor;
• and
• memory containing an image processing application;
• wherein the image processing application stored in memory directs the processor to:
• independently control the imaging parameters of the focal planes in the array camera module;
• read out image data from the array camera module forming a set of images captured from different viewpoints;
• store the image data in the memory;
• select a reference viewpoint relative to the viewpoints of the set of images captured from different viewpoints;
• normalize the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images;
• determine initial depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint based upon the disparity at which corresponding pixels in the set of images have the highest degree of similarity;
• compare the similarity of the corresponding pixels in the set of images to detect mismatched pixels;
• when an initial depth estimate does not result in the detection of a mismatch between corresponding pixels in the set of images, selecting the initial depth estimate as the depth estimate for the pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint;
• and
• when an initial depth estimate results in the detection of a mismatch between corresponding pixels in the set of images, updating the depth estimate for the pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint by:
• determining a set of candidate depth estimates using a plurality of competing subsets of the set of images based upon the disparities at which corresponding pixels in each of a plurality of competing subsets of images have the highest degree of similarity;
• and
• selecting the candidate depth of the subset having the corresponding pixels with the highest degree of similarity as the updated depth estimate for the pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint.