Humans perceive the three-dimensional structure of the world with apparent ease. However, despite all of the recent advances in computer vision research, the dream of having a computer interpret an image at the same level as a two-year old remains elusive. Why is computer vision such a challenging problem and what is the current state of the art? Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications explores the variety of techniques commonly used to analyze and interpret images. It also describes challenging real-world applications where vision is being successfully used, both for specialized applications such as medical imaging, and for fun, consumer-level tasks such as image editing and stitching, which students can apply to their own personal photos and videos. More than just a source of recipes, this exceptionally authoritative and comprehensive textbook/reference also takes a scientific approach to basic vision problems, formulating physical models of the imaging process before inverting them to produce descriptions of a scene. These problems are also analyzed using statistical models and solved using rigorous engineering techniques Topics and features: structured to support active curricula and project-oriented courses, with tips in the Introduction for using the book in a variety of customized courses; presents exercises at the end of each chapter with a heavy emphasis on testing algorithms and containing numerous suggestions for small mid-term projects; provides additional material and more detailed mathematical topics in the Appendices, which cover linear algebra, numerical techniques, and Bayesian estimation theory; suggests additional reading at the end of each chapter, including the latest research in each sub-field, in addition to a full Bibliography at the end of the book; supplies supplementary course material for students at the associated website, http://szeliski.org/Book/. Suitable for an upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level course in computer science or engineering, this textbook focuses on basic techniques that work under real-world conditions and encourages students to push their creative boundaries. Its design and exposition also make it eminently suitable as a unique reference to the fundamental techniques and current research literature in computer vision.

/pdf/computer-vision-algorithms-and-applications-25dn6wu83j.pdf

Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications

From the Publisher: 
The accessible presentation of this book gives both a general view of the entire computer vision enterprise and also offers sufficient detail to be able to build useful applications. Users learn techniques that have proven to be useful by first-hand experience and a wide range of mathematical methods. A CD-ROM with every copy of the text contains source code for programming practice, color images, and illustrative movies. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this book includes essential topics that either reflect practical significance or are of theoretical importance. Topics are discussed in substantial and increasing depth. Application surveys describe numerous important application areas such as image based rendering and digital libraries. Many important algorithms broken down and illustrated in pseudo code. Appropriate for use by engineers as a comprehensive reference to the computer vision enterprise.

Computer vision : a modern approach = 计算机视觉 : 一种现代的方法

A scheme is developed for classifying the types of motion perceived by a humanlike robot. It is assumed that the robot receives visual images of the scene using a perspective system model. Equations, theorems, concepts, clues, etc., relating the objects, their positions, and their motion to their images on the focal plane are presented. >

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/815/3148/00100651.pdf

Robot vision

Newness and distinctiveness is claimed in the features of ornamentation as shown inside the broken line circle in the accompanying representation.

Display screen or portion thereof with graphical user interface

We present a new method for rendering high dynamic range images on conventional displays. Our method is conceptually simple, computationally efficient, robust, and easy to use. We manipulate the gradient field of the luminance image by attenuating the magnitudes of large gradients. A new, low dynamic range image is then obtained by solving a Poisson equation on the modified gradient field. Our results demonstrate that the method is capable of drastic dynamic range compression, while preserving fine details and avoiding common artifacts, such as halos, gradient reversals, or loss of local contrast. The method is also able to significantly enhance ordinary images by bringing out detail in dark regions.

/pdf/gradient-domain-high-dynamic-range-compression-50i9o7k3p7.pdf

Gradient domain high dynamic range compression

A sentient system combines detection, tracking, and immersive visualization of a cluttered and crowded environment, such as an office building, terminal, or other enclosed site using a network of stereo cameras A guard monitors the site using a live 3D model, which is updated from different directions using the multiple video streams As a person moves within the view of a camera, the system detects its motion and tracks the person's path, it hands off the track to the next camera when the person goes out of that camera's view Multiple people can be tracked simultaneously both within and across cameras, with each track shown on a map display The track system includes a track map browser that displays the tracks of all moving objects as well as a history of recent tracks and a video flashlight viewer that displays live immersive video of any person that is being tracked

Method and apparatus for total situational awareness and monitoring

A method for detecting moving objects (fig. 10) and controlling a surveillance system includes a processing module (1016) adapted to receive image information from at least one imaging sensor (104). The system performs motion detection analysis upon captured images and controls the camera (104) in a specific manner upon detection of a moving object. The image processing using the camera (104) orientation, a moving object position, latitude, longitude and altitude within a surveillance area to facilitate mapping images captured by the camera (104) to a reference map of the surveillance area.

Method and system for performing surveillance

Most imaging sensors have limited dynamic range and hence are sensitive to only a part of the illumination range present in a natural scene. The dynamic range can be improved by acquiring multiple images of the same scene under different exposure settings and then combining them. In this paper, we describe a camera design for simultaneously acquiring multiple images. The cross-section of the incoming beam from a scene point is partitioned into as many parts as the required number of images. This is done by splitting the aperture into multiple parts and directing the beam exiting from each in a different direction using an assembly of mirrors. A sensor is placed in the path of each beam and exposure of each sensor is controlled either by appropriately setting its exposure parameter, or by splitting the incoming beam unevenly. The resulting multiple exposure images are used to construct a high dynamic range image. We have implemented a video-rate camera based on this design and the results obtained are presented.

Split Aperture Imaging for High Dynamic Range

A method and apparatus (102) for providing immersive surveillance wherein a remote security guard (122) may monitor a scene (100) using a variety of imagery sources (108, 110, 112, 114) that are rendered upon a model to provide a three-dimensional conceptual view of the scene. Using a view selector (120), the security guard may dynamically select a camera view to be displayed on his conceptual model, perform a walk through of the scene, identify moving objects and select the best view of those moving objects and so on.

Method and apparatus for providing immersive surveillance

A unified approach, a fusion technique, a space-time constraint, a methodology, and system architecture are provided. The unified approach is to fuse the outputs of monocular and stereo video trackers, RFID and localization systems and biometric identification systems. The fusion technique is provided that is based on the transformation of the sensory information from heterogeneous sources into a common coordinate system with rigorous uncertainties analysis to account for various sensor noises and ambiguities. The space-time constraint is used to fuse different sensor using the location and velocity information. Advantages include the ability to continuously track multiple humans with their identities in a large area. The methodology is general so that other sensors can be incorporated into the system. The system architecture is provided for the underlying real-time processing of the sensors.

Manoj Aggarwal

Papers

Method and apparatus for total situational awareness and monitoring

Method and system for performing surveillance

Split Aperture Imaging for High Dynamic Range

Method and apparatus for providing immersive surveillance

Method and apparatus for stereo, multi-camera tracking and RF and video track fusion