Monocular Depth Estimation Using Deep Learning: A Review

Sensors (Basel). 2022 Jul 18;22(14):5353. doi: 10.3390/s22145353.

Abstract

In current decades, significant advancements in robotics engineering and autonomous vehicles have improved the requirement for precise depth measurements. Depth estimation (DE) is a traditional task in computer vision that can be appropriately predicted by applying numerous procedures. This task is vital in disparate applications such as augmented reality and target tracking. Conventional monocular DE (MDE) procedures are based on depth cues for depth prediction. Various deep learning techniques have demonstrated their potential applications in managing and supporting the traditional ill-posed problem. The principal purpose of this paper is to represent a state-of-the-art review of the current developments in MDE based on deep learning techniques. For this goal, this paper tries to highlight the critical points of the state-of-the-art works on MDE from disparate aspects. These aspects include input data shapes and training manners such as supervised, semi-supervised, and unsupervised learning approaches in combination with applying different datasets and evaluation indicators. At last, limitations regarding the accuracy of the DL-based MDE models, computational time requirements, real-time inference, transferability, input images shape and domain adaptation, and generalization are discussed to open new directions for future research.

Keywords: deep learning; monocular depth estimation; multi-task learning; single image depth estimation; supervised, semi-supervised, and unsupervised learning.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Augmented Reality*
  • Deep Learning*
  • Forecasting

Grants and funding

This research was possible with the support of the Secretariad Universitatsi Recercadel Departamentd Empresai Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (2020 FISDU 00405).