Projection mapping (PM) exhibits suboptimal performance in well-lit environments because of the interference caused by ambient light. This interference degrades the contrast of the projected images. Consequently, conventional methodologies restrict the application of PM to dimly lit settings, leading to an unnatural visual experience, as only the PM target is prominently illuminated. To overcome these limitations, we introduce an innovative approach that leverages a mixed light field, blending traditional PM with ray-controllable ambient lighting. This methodological combination, despite its simplicity, is effective because it ensures that the projector exclusively illuminates the PM target, preserving the optimal contrast. Precise control of ambient light rays is essential to prevent them from illuminating the PM target while adequately illuminating the surrounding environment. Furthermore, we propose the integration of a kaleidoscopic array with integral photography to generate dense light fields for ray-controllable ambient lighting. Additionally, we present an efficient binary-search-based calibration method tailored to this intricate optical system. Our optical simulations and the developed system collectively validate the effectiveness of our approach. Our results show that PM targets and ordinary objects coexist naturally in environments that are brightly lit as a result of our method, enhancing the overall visual experience.

Conventional active 3D sensing systems do not work well when other objects get between the measurement target and the measurement equipment, occluding the line of sight. In this paper, we propose an active 3D sensing method that solves this occlusion problem by using a light field created using aerial imaging. In this light field, aerial luminous spots can be formed by focusing rays of light from multiple directions. Towards the occlusion problem, this configuration is effective, because even if some of the rays are occluded, the rays of other directions keep the spots. Our results showed that this method was able to measure the position and inclination of a target by using an aerial image of a single point light source and was robust against occlusions. In addition, we confirmed that multiple point light sources also worked well.