Model-Free, Occlusion Accommodating Active Contour Tracking

Abstract EN

This study investigates tracking in monocular image sequences by a model-free, occlusion accommodating active contour method.

The objective functional contains a model-free shape tracking term to constrain the active curve in a frame to have a shape which approximates as closely as possible the shape of the active curve in the preceding frame.

It complements a kernel photometric tracking term which constrains the active curve in a frame to enclose an intensity profile that matches as closely as possible the profile within the curve in the preceding frame.

This data term is in kernel form so as to forgo image modeling.

The method, which is exclusively driven by the curve/level set evolution equations derived from the objective functional Euler-Lagrange conditions, can track several objects independently.

Experimental validation includes examples with infrared imaging, occlusion, clutter, and articulated motion.