Stereo as energy minimization
Expressing this mathematically
1. Match quality
Want each pixel to find a good match in the other image
2. Smoothness
If two pixels are adjacent, they should (usually) move about
the same amount
We want to minimize
This is a special type of energy function known as an
MRF  (Markov Random Field)
Effective and fast algorithms have been recently developed:
» Graph cuts, belief propagation….
» for more details (and code):  http://vision.middlebury.edu/MRF/
» Great tutorials available online (including video of talks)