Computers to Perceive Three Dimensions in 2-D Images

We live in a three-dimensional world but, for the most part, we see it in two dimensions.

Discerning how objects and surfaces are juxtaposed in an image is second nature for people, but it's something that has long flummoxed computer vision systems.

As Carnegie Mellon Researchers Teach Computers to Perceive Three Dimensions in 2-D Images; Program Automatically Generates 3-D Models From a Single Photograph Ancient Greeks reasoned that the eyes must emit rays that bounce off objects, measuring distances much like today's laser rangefinders.

By the 19th century, scientists realized that a pair of eyes gives humans binocular vision, allowing them to perceive depth. But stereoscopic vision is useful at distances of no more than 50 meters. Even then, the mind often overrides binocular vision, such as when watching a football game on television.