Review on Panoramic Imaging and Its Applications in Scene Understanding

Understand

With the rapid development of high-speed communication and artificial intelligence technologies, human perception of real-world scenes is no longer limited to the use of small Field of View (FoV) and low-dimensional scene detection devices.

• Panoramic imaging emerges as the next generation of innovative intelligent instruments for environmental perception and measurement.
• However, while satisfying the need for large-FoV photographic imaging, panoramic imaging instruments are expected to have high resolution, no blind area, miniaturization, and multidimensional intelligent perception, and can be combined with artificial intelligence methods towards the next generation of intelligent instruments, enabling deeper understanding and more holistic perception of 360-degree real-world surrounding environments.
• Fortunately, recent advances in freeform surfaces, thin-plate optics, and metasurfaces provide innovative approaches to address human perception of the environment, offering promising ideas beyond conventional optical imaging.