Method for determining a location from images acquired of an environment with an omni-directional camera

This invention helps you figure out where you are and which way you're facing by looking at the skyline. It takes a full 360-degree picture of the real urban skyline around you. Then, it compares this picture to a collection of computer-generated 360-degree pictures of known urban skylines from a 3D map, extracting features from the images to find the closest match, which reveals your exact spot and direction.

Why it matters: Filed before deep learning revolutionized image recognition and 3D city models became widely available. Modern GPUs and AI make synthesizing and matching images far more efficient and accurate.

Status: ExpiredProtection ended and was never renewed
How hard to build: SpecializedOmni-directional camera, 3D model, computer vision software

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