Three-dimensional image photographing system

Abstract

A three-dimensional photographing system is disclosed which can photograph a three-dimensional image with high accuracy without dependence on an object. The photographing system is provided with a projector for projecting a coded pattern, a third camera for photographing the projected pattern in an optical axis direction of the projector, and a first and a second cameras for photographing the projected pattern in a direction different from the optical axis direction of the projector. It is determined by a region dividing unit whether the amount of change of the photographed pattern obtained by the third camera relative to the projected pattern is not smaller than a predetermined value, and a new code is allocated by a recoding unit to a region where the amount of change is not smaller than the predetermined value. In decoding units, using this allocated code, distance information is generated from the photographed patterns obtained by the first and second cameras, and a three-dimensional image is obtained in a distance information integrating unit in accordance with the distance information and luminance information obtained by the third camera.