MOBILE SURROUNDING SURVEILLANCE APPARATUS, VEHICLE, AND IMAGE TRANSFORMING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image which gives a driver less uncomfortable feeling and facilitates the checking of surroundings around a vehicle to reduce a burden on the driver and raise safety. SOLUTION: An imaging means 11b converts into image data an optical image obtained from a picture taken over a view field of 360° around through an optical system 11a capable of performing central projective transformation. An image processing means 12 converts the image data into panorama image data or see-through image data, and a display means 13 displays an image corresponding to the second image data. It converts the vicinity of the view field center into image data so that a road surface is looked down, and a portion with a distance from the view field center is projected on a partly cylindrical surface or a partly spherical surface having an axis passing the projective transformation center at a position with a fixed distance from the projective transformation center in a plane parallel to the road surface with a radius equal to the distance between the projective transformation center and the road surface, thereby converting the portion into image data. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI