Rapid reconstruction of small objects on mobile phones

Augmented Reality (AR) on mobile phones is receiving more and more attention recently, becoming a popular research topic and an important commercial field. In this paper we present a lightweight method to create coarse 3D models of small-scale objects. The goal is to give the users the possibility to create and maintain AR content themselves without the need for expensive tools and complex interaction. Our algorithm is based on shape-from-silhouette using voxel carving and runs on modern smartphone hardware. 3D models of certain object groups can be generated interactively and instantly. The actual result is visualized continuously using image based rendering methods to inform the user about the actual model quality. Given a suitably accurate model it can further be used for any means of AR and can easily be shared with other users. The usability of our approach is evaluated using modern smartphone hardware (see Figure 1). The advantages are demonstrated using a set of models for playing a board game.