Apparatus which estimates inside of object and method of estimating inside of object

摘要

An apparatus which estimates an inside of an object, includes: a first obtaining unit which obtains light path models and a first light intensity distribution, based on an assumption that a first object includes no second object, distribution; a second obtaining unit which obtains a second light intensity distribution which is an intensity distribution of observed light; a voting value calculating unit which calculates a voting value for each of positions on a predetermined plane, based on a result of comparison in light intensity between the first and second light intensity distributions; a voting unit which votes the voting value to voting regions on a light path model along which light reaches each position; and an estimating unit which estimates whether the second object exists in each voting region, based on a result of the voting.

主权项

1. An apparatus which estimates an inside of a first object, the apparatus comprising:
a non-transitory memory storing a program; a hardware processor that executes the program and causes the apparatus to obtain a plurality of light path models and a first light intensity distribution, based on an assumption that the first object includes no second object which is different from the first object, the light path models representing a plurality of paths taken by light after entering the first object and before exiting the first object, the first light intensity distribution indicating an intensity of virtual light on a predetermined plane, the virtual light exiting the first object after propagating through the first object along the light path models, the first light intensity distribution being indicated by light transmittance derived from the light path models obtained as a result of ray tracing simulation; and a camera configured to obtain a second light intensity distribution which is an intensity distribution of light exiting the first object after entering the first object, a light source emitting visible light or near-infrared light to the object and the camera obtaining an observation image indicating the second light intensity distribution; wherein the hardware processor executes the program and causes the apparatus to calculate a voting value for each of positions on the predetermined plane, based on a result of comparison in light intensity between the first light intensity distribution and the second light intensity distribution, the voting value indicating a probability of existence of the second object in the first object; virtually divide the inside of the first object into a plurality of voting regions, and add the voting value calculated for the each of the positions on the predetermined plane to values of voting regions on a light path model along which light reaches the position, the adding being performed for the each of the positions; and estimate whether or not the second object exists in each of the voting regions, by comparing a result of the adding of the voting value for each of the voting regions with a threshold.