AbstractWe describe dynamic programming algorithms that are derived on the basis of symmatrized probabilistic models of the terrain and stereo pair and reconstruct the digital terrain model from the ideal horizontal stereo pair as a bunch of planar epipolar profiles. The algorithms show good performance under nonuniform intensity distortions over both images in the stereo pair and can be used both for the long‐range and close‐range computer binocular stereo vision. Experimental results for some real stereo images of the Earth's surface are presen