Web-accessible geographic integration and calibration of webcams
Austin Abrams, Robert B. Pless · ACM Transactions on Multimedia Computing Communications and Applications · 2013
A global network of webcams offers unique viewpoints from tens of thousands of locations. Understanding the geographic context of this imagery is vital in using these cameras for quantitative environmental monitoring or surveillance applications. We derive robust geo-calibration constraints that allow users to geo-register static or pan-tilt-zoom cameras by specifying a few corresponding points, and describe our Web interface suitable for novices. We discuss design decisions that support our scalable, publicly accessible Web service that allows webcam textures to be displayed live on 3D geographic models. Finally, we demonstrate several multimedia applications for geo-calibrated cameras.