Exploring

3D Virtual Environments
Through Op8mised Spherical Panorama
Naviga8on

The applica8on goal is to provide a lightweight

environment to be deployed in a web browser for the
interac(ve naviga(on and browsing of an ordered
sequence of spherical images.

(a)

(b)

An example of a real world panorama: (a) View of the current panorama (zoom 1:1) aligned
to the outward direc8on; (b) next panorama (zoom 1:1) aligned to the inward direc8on.

The rst of the two key features of the system is to

enable a smooth transi(on between the adjacent
panoramas through an algorithm of sub-scene
matching.






(a)

(b)

(a) Opera8ng a zoom on the current panorama results into a reduc8on of the size of the
rectangular area corresponding to the part of scene that is viewed. By zooming the current
panorama in the outward direc8on (in (b) the zoom level is 1:2) the content of the sub-
scene P0 can beRer approximate the content of the next panorama.

The iden8ca8on of the rectangular sub-region of an image Ik that

best matches the content of Ik+1 in correspondence to the inward
direc8on is accomplished by minimiza8on of the following
cost func(on with respect to the three variables (x, y, )

(x0, y0, 0) = arg[minx,y, D(f(x, y, ), Ik+1)]

where:
- f(x, y, ) = Crop(Ik, x, x + wk+1, y, y + hk+1)
- wk and hk are the width and height in pixels of the image Ik;
- Crop(I,x,x,y,y) returns the rectangular sub-region of the image I;
- D(In,Im) returns the dissimilarity between the content of two
images In and Im;
- (xo, yo, o) denes the coordinates of the boRom-leZ vertex of the
sub-region Po = (xo , yo) and the zoom factor Zo = 1/o to be applied
to the sub-region of Ik in order to match the size of Ik+1.

We experimentally observed that computa8on of the dissimilarity

func8on D(In,Im) through the distance of the image histograms provi-
des higher eec(veness compared to solu8ons based on scale
invariant local keypoint descriptors such as SIFT.

Sub-scene matching results

Some results: in the rst column images of the user current view are
presented; in the second the best matching sub-region of the current
image with the op8mal zoom factor for the transi8on is shown; nally,
in the third column the next panorama is visualised.

The second key feature of the system is an innova(ve interac(on

metaphor for a beRer frui8on of mul8media materials associated
to interac(ve hotspots related to Point Of Interests (POIs). These
are distributed along a cultural walk-through and include 3D
models, PDFs, galleries of images/videos and indoor panoramas





Visualisa8on of an interac8ve indoor panorama in the 3D space

- The interface is built using HTML5, CSS3, javascript and WebGL;

- naviga8on among spherical images is obtained replacing a texture mapped into a sphere
taking into account the op8mal zoom factor es8mated by the sub-matching module;
- POIs infos and associated mul8media materials are shown in oa(ng panels in the 3D space
overcoming the limita8on of standard interfaces that use 2D light-boxes zoom factor computed by
the sub-scene matching module.





Visualisa8on of an interac8ve outdoor panorama in the 3D space

Hotspots associated interac8ve mul8media

Hot-spost can be draggled in 3D space

material can be accessed by a circular menu

represented by four icons for the dierente
types: PDF, image and video gallery, 3D
object, nested panorama.

The system automa8cally provides the best
visual arrangement of mul8media materials
with respect to the user point-of-view and
allows the user to drag the hotspots in order
to customise the disposi8on of elements in
the 3D space.

Mini-maps are provided allowing contextual
awareness.

Interac8ve mini-map showing hot-spots

and user posi8on and orienta8on

The demo will show an interac(ve route based on spherical photos

which starts from the current Via della Ninna near the Uzi Gallery, to
the church of San Leonardo in Arcetri in Florence (IT), giving the
possibility to experience an important, though liRle-known mul8media
virtual i8nerary of cultural and historical heritage.

The church of San Leonardo

in Arcetri




The famous romanesque

pulpit inside San Leonardo

The remains of the church

of San Pier Scheraggio
in Via della Ninna