A Remote View System to Allow Real-Time Walkthrough

A remote view system is a system for the delivery and presentation of information such as video and audio to users in remote locations. Methods for the construction of virtual environments based on video information have been applied to remote view technology. When a system that supports remote viewing is applied to situations such as viewing scenery or engaging in collaborative work, it is useful to provide users with a function that enables them to walk through a virtual environment. Although walkthroughs are possible in remote view systems that use pre-prepared images to construct virtual environments, these systems are lacking in terms of their real-time performance. In this study, we built a virtual walk-through environment that allows remote viewing based on images sent in real time from an omni directional camera. By using an improved map projection method, the system produces less image distortion than the conventional projection method. We have confirmed the walk-through capabilities of this system, evaluated the performance of improved map projection method, and subjected it to user trials.