Creating high fidelity 360° virtual reality with high dynamic range spherical panorama images

Abstract This research explores the development of a novel method and apparatus for creating spherical panoramas enhanced with high dynamic range (HDR) for high fidelity Virtual Reality 360 degree (VR360) user experiences. A VR360 interactive panorama presentation using spherical panoramas can provide virtual interactivity and wider viewing coverage; with three degrees of freedom, users can look around in multiple directions within the VR360 experiences, gaining the sense of being in control of their own engagement. This degree of freedom is facilitated by the use of mobile displays or head-mount-devices. However, in terms of image reproduction, the exposure range can be a major difficulty in reproducing a high contrast real-world scene. Imaging variables caused by difficulties and obstacles can occur during the production process of spherical panorama facilitated with HDR. This may result in inaccurate image reproduction for location-based subjects, which will in turn result in a poor VR360 user experience. In this article we describe a HDR spherical panorama reproduction approach (workflow and best practice) which can shorten the production processes, and reduce imaging variables, and technical obstacles and issues to a minimum. This leads to improved photographic image reproduction with fewer visual abnormalities for VR360 experiences, which can be adaptable into a wide range of interactive design applications. We describe the process in detail and also report on a user study that shows the proposed approach creates images which viewers prefer, on the whole, to those created using more complicated HDR methods, or to those created without the use of HDR at all.