We introduce LighthouseGS, a practical novel view synthesis framework based on 3D Gaussian Splatting that utilizes simple panorama-style captures from a single mobile device. While convenient, this rotation-dominant motion and narrow baseline make accurate camera pose and 3D point estimation challenging, especially in textureless indoor scenes. To address these challenges, LighthouseGSleverages rough geometric priors, such as mobile device camera poses and monocular depth estimation, and utilizes indoor planar structures. Specifically, we propose a new initialization method called plane scaffold assembly to generate consistent 3D points on these structures, followed by a stable pruning strategy to enhance geometry and optimization stability. Additionally, we present geometric and photometric corrections to resolve inconsistencies from motion drift and auto-exposure in mobile devices. Tested on real and synthetic indoor scenes, LighthouseGSdelivers photorealistic rendering, outperforming state-of-the-art methods and enabling applications like panoramic view synthesis and object placement. Project page: https://vision3d-lab.github.io/lighthousegs/

Depth from focus (DfF) is a method of estimating the depth of a scene by using information acquired through changes in the focus of a camera. Within the DfF framework of, the focus measure (FM) forms the foundation which determines the accuracy of the output. With the results from the FM, the role of a DfF pipeline is to determine and recalculate unreliable measurements while enhancing those that are reliable. In this paper, we propose a new FM, which we call the "ring difference filter" (RDF), that can more accurately and robustly measure focus. FMs can usually be categorized as confident local methods or noise robust non-local methods. The RDF's unique ring-and-disk structure allows it to have the advantages of both local and non-local FMs. We then describe an efficient pipeline that utilizes the RDF's properties. Part of this pipeline is our proposed RDF-based cost aggregation method, which is able to robustly refine the initial results in the presence of image noise. Our method is able to reproduce results that are on par with or even better than those of state-of-the-art methods, while spending less time in computation.

Food 3D printing is getting the spotlight by offering the opportunity to customize food appearances, textures, and flavors that are troublesome to make by hand. In additive manufacturing, machines extrude ingredients into a certain shape, however, they cannot be applied to all types of food, such as mandu (Korean dumpling). In this pictorial, we extend the research on digital gastronomy by using digital fabrication to create custom tools that assist the process of cooking. We present the iterative process of designing the "Ori-mandu" system, and how Ori-mandu enables users to fabricate dumplings in whatever shape they want.

Depth from focus (DfF) is a method of estimating depth of a scene by using the information acquired through the change of the focus of a camera. Within the framework of DfF, the focus measure (FM) forms the foundation on which the accuracy of the output is determined. With the result from the FM, the role of a DfF pipeline is to determine and recalculate unreliable measurements while enhancing those that are reliable. In this paper, we propose a new FM that more accurately and robustly measures focus, which we call the ring difference filter (RDF). FMs can usually be categorized as confident local methods or noise robust non-local methods. RDFs unique ring-and-disk structure allows it to have the advantageous sides of both local and non-local FMs. We then describe an efficient pipeline that utilizes the properties that the RDF brings. Our method is able to reproduce results that are on par with or even better than those of the state-of-the-art, while spending less time in computation.