Refractive stereo ray tracing for reconstructing underwater structures

Underwater objects behind a refractive surface pose problems for traditional 3D reconstruction techniques. Scenes where underwater objects are visible from the surface are commonplace, however the refraction of light causes 3D points in these scenes to project non-linearly. Refractive Stereo Ray Tracing allows for accurate reconstruction by modeling the refraction of light. Our approach uses techniques from ray tracing to compute the 3D position of points behind a refractive surface. This technique aims to reconstruct underwater structures in situations where access to the water is dangerous or cost prohibitive. Experimental results in real and synthetic scenes show this technique effectively handles refraction.