METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR ESTIMATING MONOCULAR DEPTH WITHIN AN IMAGE USING OBSERVED IMAGE ELEMENTS

A method is provided for estimating depth within a two dimensional image. Methods may include: receiving a two dimensional image of an environment captured by an image sensor; extracting pixel coordinates of pixels associated with the one or more objects within the environment from the two dimensional image; correlating the one or more objects within the environment with the one or more map objects of map data; determining a depth of the pixels associated with the one or more objects within the environment based on a location of the one or more map objects in the map data relative to the image sensor; generating a depth map of the pixels associated with the one or more objects; and providing for at least one of navigational assistance or at least partial autonomous control to a vehicle based, at least in part, on the depth map.