Semi-Global Matching - Motivation, Developments and Applications

Abstract

Since its original publication, the Semi-Global Matching (SGM) technique has been re-implemented by many researchers and companies. The method offers a very good trade off between runtime and accuracy, especially at object borders and fine structures. It is also robust against radiometric differences and not sensitive to the choice of parameters. Therefore, it is well suited for solving practical problems. The applications reach from remote sensing, like deriving digital surface models from aerial and satellite images, to robotics and driver assistance systems. This paper motivates and explains the method, shows current developments as well as examples from various applications.