Three-dimensional movie acquisition and corresponding depth data is commonly generated from multiple cameras and multiple views. This technology has high cost and large size which are limitations for medical devices, military surveillance and current consumer products such as small camcorders and cell phone movie cameras. This research result shows that a single imager, equipped with a fast-focus microfluidic lens, produces a highly accurate depth map. On test material, the depth is found to be an average Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 3.543 gray level steps (1.38\\%) accuracy compared to ranging data. The depth is inferred using a new Extended Depth from Defocus (EDfD), and defocus is achieved at movie speeds with a microfluidic lens. Camera non-uniformities from both lens and sensor pipeline are analysed. The findings of some lens effects can be compensated for, but noise has the detrimental effect. In addition, early indications show that real-time HDTV 3D movie frame rates are feasible.
","abstract_html":"<p>Three-dimensional movie acquisition and corresponding depth data is commonly generated from multiple cameras and multiple views. This technology has high cost and large size which are limitations for medical devices, military surveillance and current consumer products such as small camcorders and cell phone movie cameras. This research result shows that a single imager, equipped with a fast-focus microfluidic lens, produces a highly accurate depth map. On test material, the depth is found to be an average Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 3.543 gray level steps (1.38\\%) accuracy compared to ranging data. The depth is inferred using a new Extended Depth from Defocus (EDfD), and defocus is achieved at movie speeds with a microfluidic lens. Camera non-uniformities from both lens and sensor pipeline are analysed. The findings of some lens effects can be compensated for, but noise has the detrimental effect. In addition, early indications show that real-time HDTV 3D movie frame rates are feasible.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Liu, Chao"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Electrical and Computer Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Charles A. Bouman","Lauren Christopher","Edward J. Delp","Paul Salama"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:54:02Z","subjects":["Applied sciences","Microfluidic lens","Three dimensional moving pictures","Computer Engineering","Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/800","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Charles A. Bouman","Lauren Christopher","Edward J. Delp","Paul Salama"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Liu, Chao"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Applied sciences","Microfluidic lens","Three dimensional moving pictures","Computer Engineering","Electrical and Computer Engineering"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/800"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Three-dimensional movie acquisition and corresponding depth data is commonly generated from multiple cameras and multiple views. This technology has high cost and large size which are limitations for medical devices, military surveillance and current consumer products such as small camcorders and cell phone movie cameras. This research result shows that a single imager, equipped with a fast-focus microfluidic lens, produces a highly accurate depth map. On test material, the depth is found to be an average Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 3.543 gray level steps (1.38\\%) accuracy compared to ranging data. The depth is inferred using a new Extended Depth from Defocus (EDfD), and defocus is achieved at movie speeds with a microfluidic lens. Camera non-uniformities from both lens and sensor pipeline are analysed. The findings of some lens effects can be compensated for, but noise has the detrimental effect. In addition, early indications show that real-time HDTV 3D movie frame rates are feasible.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Three dimensional moving pictures with a single imager and microfluidic lens"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Charles A. Bouman","Lauren Christopher","Edward J. Delp","Paul Salama"],"dc:creator":["Liu, Chao"],"dc:description.abstract":["Three-dimensional movie acquisition and corresponding depth data is commonly generated from multiple cameras and multiple views. This technology has high cost and large size which are limitations for medical devices, military surveillance and current consumer products such as small camcorders and cell phone movie cameras. This research result shows that a single imager, equipped with a fast-focus microfluidic lens, produces a highly accurate depth map. On test material, the depth is found to be an average Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 3.543 gray level steps (1.38\\%) accuracy compared to ranging data. The depth is inferred using a new Extended Depth from Defocus (EDfD), and defocus is achieved at movie speeds with a microfluidic lens. Camera non-uniformities from both lens and sensor pipeline are analysed. The findings of some lens effects can be compensated for, but noise has the detrimental effect. In addition, early indications show that real-time HDTV 3D movie frame rates are feasible.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/800"],"dc:subject":["Applied sciences","Microfluidic lens","Three dimensional moving pictures","Computer Engineering","Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"dc:title":["Three dimensional moving pictures with a single imager and microfluidic lens"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:54:02Z"}