Can I create a linear side-scrolling panorama from a moving car or train?
Asked 6/20/2019
3 views
2 answers
0
I want to make a very long image from a camera pointed out the side window of a moving car or train, similar to a scanner or slit-scan effect. The goal is an almost orthographic-looking side view of a whole block or longer, produced quickly rather than by manually stitching hundreds of photos. Ideally this would use video or a live camera feed and extract narrow center strips from each frame. Is there an established technique or software for this, and how can perspective distortion be minimized?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
1
This is how smart phone cameras take panoramas (at least iphone). It only takes thin columns as you rotate the camera. Unfortunately it uses the compass sensor to know that you're rotating. There is no position sensor accurate enough to know you're sliding the camera left to right so instead you'd need to use image motion detection tech.
You may be mistaken. My smartphone (Xiaomi Note 7) doesn't need a rotation since I just took a linear panorama of kitchen appliances by dragging it along the edge of my kitchen counter. How it works is anyone's guess, it possibly looks at some features of the image and how they move across the frame. Of course when you are standing, the only way to have features of the image change sufficiently fast is to rotate the camera, but if you are close you can just walk as I did.
Looking at the result show the limits of the method, the camera cannot tell the instant speed, so unless you maintain a very steady speed the image is likely to be shrunk or stretched at random horizontally, so I doubt you can use the technique in a car in traffic.
Experiment: "scanning" a magazine cover using the panorama mode (the original picture is 14000 pixels high):
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — this is essentially a type of panorama, often called a linear panorama, and it can also resemble slit-scan imaging.
A practical approach is to capture video or many overlapping frames while the camera moves sideways, then build the final image from narrow vertical strips near the center of each frame. Some smartphones already do something similar for panoramas, using image features to track motion rather than only rotation sensors.
If you want software, Hugin was specifically mentioned as a tool that can do this kind of stitching.
To reduce the perspective problems you described:
- use a longer focal length (narrower field of view)
- move only a small amount between frames so overlap is high
- crop frames to very narrow vertical strips before stitching
Those steps help approximate the “flat” look you want, though it still won’t be a perfect orthographic projection in all situations. The closer the subject is, the harder this becomes. So: yes, the technique exists, and searching for linear panorama is the best starting point.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can you create an 'inside-out' panorama by circling a subject?
Can very fast focal-plane shutter speeds cause visible diffraction blur?
Can I make every parallel row in a scene appear head-on in one photo?
How can I photograph an entire wall in a tight room with minimal perspective distortion?
How can I repair a film frame that was cut across two negative strips when scanning?