A distortion mirror, also known as a funhouse mirror or carnival mirror is a special type of mirror that reflects distorted images. They are often used at fairs and carnivals to entertain children.
The distortion of a lateral-view mirror is crucial for driver safety; however, the standard methodology for measuring and calculating distortion requires expert personnel which could introduce measurement errors. The present work aims to develop a semi-automatic distortion calculation method using image processing.
Convex
In the field of automotive engineering, lateral view mirrors must meet specific quality standards in order to provide the driver with the necessary visibility for safe driving. This quality is tested manually by experts, and is commonly evaluated by a test setup that involves a radial line pattern or concentric circle patterns. The lateral-view mirrors are compared to the patterned image, and their distortion is calculated. This process is often time-consuming and error-prone, which is why automated distortion measurement methods are needed.
Currently, there are two common methods of measuring distortion in lateral-view mirrors: the JIS-D-5705 standard and a distortion calculation method based on image processing (DCMIP). The DCMIP is an efficient and effective alternative to the manual inspection. It consists of the following steps: first, a gray-scale image is captured, followed by the identification and measurement of the concentric circles in the pattern. The measured values are then used to calculate the distortion, which is then compared with the original pattern to determine whether the distortion meets the standard.
The DCMIP method was tested on five commercial lateral-view mirrors from different manufacturers. These mirrors were chosen to represent the diversity of the market and to ensure that the results are valid. The results of the tests were compared to the distortion values obtained from the JIS-D-5705 standard. The results showed that the DCMIP was more reliable and precise than the standard. The DCMIP was also invariant to changes in the image resolution.
To understand the reasons for this difference, it is important to understand the physics of reflection and distortion. When a ray of light hits a mirror, it causes the normal lines to reflect off its surface in different directions. These reflections are then projected to the eye of the observer. This can cause a distorted image, which is referred to as a funhouse mirror. This distortion is a result of the fact that the mirror has a different shape and normal line than the object that was reflected. The resulting distorted images can be distracting to the driver, and can result in accidents.
Concave
The distortion mirrors are a great STEM activity for kids. They allow children to make funny faces and observe the twisted and distorted reflections made by the concave and convex mirrors. They also help students learn about the principles of light and mirrors. This is a fun way for kids to learn about how curved mirrors distort objects by refracting light, making the image of an object smaller and farther away than the actual object.
During automobile manufacturing, the quality of lateral-view mirrors is checked manually by an expert person using one of two methods: the mirror images are captured with a concentric circle pattern or radial line patterns. These patterns are compared to the ideal ones, and the distortion factor is calculated. However, these measurements require manual effort and do not provide sufficient accuracy.
A more efficient alternative to the manual inspection method is to use a digital image processing algorithm that can automatically calculate the distortion factor for a given mirror image. This approach is based on the analysis of the shape, and uses mathematical morphology algorithms. The proposed DCMIP is scale and rotation invariant, and it allows for greater precision than the standard.
To test the performance of the proposed DCMIP, five commercial lateral-view mirrors (M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5) were evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that the distortion calculation based on DCMIP is more accurate than the traditional JIS-D-5705 method. Moreover, the DCMIP is also robust against changes in image resolution and rotation.
The DCMIP analyzed the reflection of the M2 mirror and found that it does not meet the JIS-D-5705 quality criteria, because the reflected pattern contains zones with distortion. This is because these zones reflect incident rays from a point in front of the mirror, and the rays are spread out more than they would be in a perfect mirror. In addition, the reflected pattern does not include a zone where the rays are close to each other. Therefore, the resulting distortion is more significant than the tolerance allowed in the JIS-D-5705 standard. The results showed that the proposed DCMIP can detect these defects and is suitable for assessing the quality of automobile lateral-view mirrors.
Inverted
As most people know, mirrors distort our image. This is why people often look different in photographs than they do in their mirror reflections. But does it have to be this way? In reality, everyone’s face is asymmetrical. Even models and famous actors don’t have perfectly symmetrical faces. But that doesn’t mean that the distortion of a mirror is more damaging than a photograph. It just means that we are more used to our own distorted mirror images. As a result, we like ourselves more when we see ourselves in the mirror than when we see ourselves in photos.
The quality of automobile lateral-view mirrors is normally evaluated through manual inspection by experts who check the distortion by using either a concentric circle or radial line pattern. In order to automate the process of distortion measurement and increase the accuracy of the inspection results, this paper proposes a new distortion calculation method based on image processing (DCMIP). This method is scale and rotation independent and can be applied to any mirror shape.
To perform the distortion calculation, a distorted image is projected onto a surface and then the reflected patterns of the pattern are measured. For each pattern, the distribution of distances between the extracted circles and the ideal circles are calculated. The resulting values are then used to calculate the distortion factor. The comparison between the distortion factors obtained by the JIS-D-5705 standard and those of DCMIP shows that, for most mirrors, the quality criteria set in the latter is higher than the former one.
Kids can’t help but laugh at their distorted reflections in this fun mirror! Bend, step back or wave and watch as your reflection changes size and shape. Encourages sensory exploration as well as social and emotional development. Made from styrene this mirror is safe for children to use. Can be used both indoors and outdoors. Mounting fixings included.
Extra
A curved distortion mirror is one which has a more pronounced dome than a flat mirror and as such will show a distorted image of objects. The distorted image shows objects in a wider view than would be the case with a plane mirror and can be used to aid sighting at difficult or tight angles (such as for a driveway exit at a home, at a commercial site entrance or at a tricky junction of two roads).
Like other types of mirrors, these can be available in various sizes to suit different requirements and may be manufactured from materials such as glass, polycarbonate or stainless steel. Typically they will have a frame to improve their structural strength and may be offered with coloured frames in order to meet industry standards for certain types of applications or simply to help the mirror blend into its environment (there are also non-framed styles of the product too).
All mirrors work by reflecting light, which travels off objects and reaches a reflective surface such as that found on the mirror. The reflected light then bounces off that surface in all directions and those that reach the eye are recognised by the brain as a picture of an object (which is often slightly distorted due to the curvature of the mirror).
Glass is a popular type of material for use with convex and distortion mirrors. This is because it is generally very durable and able to offer good clarity. However, it is quite heavy compared to other types of mirrors and can be prone to damage from vibration or impact. Glass framed mirrors are typically offered with a protective coating to help prevent damage.
Polycarbonate is another commonly used type of mirror material for use with distortion mirrors. This is because it is a plastic type material which offers a good level of clarity, but it is significantly lighter in weight than glass. It is also a very tough material which can be more resistant to damage and will not easily scratch or chip as long as it is cared for correctly.