From immersive experiences to autonomous driving to medical imaging and more, we are increasingly seeing that maximizing a camera’s field of view can solve real-world problems. In the past few years, omnidirectional imaging has grown in interest, driven in part by the desire to maximize the amount of content and context encapsulated by a single image. Fisheye cameras installed in modern vehicles and commodity omnidirectional cameras from companies like Ricoh and Insta360 have helped to increase the popularity of this imaging modality and have opened the door for more consumer-facing applications in the automotive, home services and real estate industries, among others. Our workshop seeks to provide a link between the formative research that supports these advances and the realization of commercial products that leverage this technology. We want to encourage the development of new algorithms and applications for this imaging modality that will continue to drive this engine of progress.

Wide field of view and omnidirectional imaging require special privacy considerations as these techniques capture more expansive content than the more common perspective image. Furthermore, the common application of wide field of view imaging to surveillance and its frequent use as an "always-on" sensor for vehicles and augmented reality devices raise questions about how we can leverage the power of this imaging modality while also preserving individual privacy.

We have encouraged our speakers to address these considerations in their keynotes. We also encourage authors to explore topics around the privacy implications of omnidirectional imaging, along with privacy-preserving solutions that are unique to this modality and its applications. We further encourage authors to consider ways to leverage omnidirectional vision to address societal and environmental problems, as well as other important issues, that impact billions of people around the world.