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15 results (View BibTeX file of all listed publications)

2000

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Probabilistic detection and tracking of motion boundaries

Black, M. J., Fleet, D. J.

Int. J. of Computer Vision, 38(3):231-245, July 2000 (article)

Abstract
We propose a Bayesian framework for representing and recognizing local image motion in terms of two basic models: translational motion and motion boundaries. Motion boundaries are represented using a non-linear generative model that explicitly encodes the orientation of the boundary, the velocities on either side, the motion of the occluding edge over time, and the appearance/disappearance of pixels at the boundary. We represent the posterior probability distribution over the model parameters given the image data using discrete samples. This distribution is propagated over time using a particle filtering algorithm. To efficiently represent such a high-dimensional space we initialize samples using the responses of a low-level motion discontinuity detector. The formulation and computational model provide a general probabilistic framework for motion estimation with multiple, non-linear, models.

pdf pdf from publisher Video [BibTex]

2000

Black, M. J., Fleet, D. J. Probabilistic detection and tracking of motion boundaries Int. J. of Computer Vision, 38(3):231-245, July 2000 (article)

pdf pdf from publisher Video [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2012 12 11 um 12.12.25
Stochastic tracking of 3D human figures using 2D image motion

(Winner of the 2010 Koenderink Prize for Fundamental Contributions in Computer Vision)

Sidenbladh, H., Black, M. J., Fleet, D.

In European Conference on Computer Vision, ECCV, pages: 702-718, LNCS 1843, Springer Verlag, Dublin, Ireland, June 2000 (inproceedings)

Abstract
A probabilistic method for tracking 3D articulated human figures in monocular image sequences is presented. Within a Bayesian framework, we define a generative model of image appearance, a robust likelihood function based on image gray level differences, and a prior probability distribution over pose and joint angles that models how humans move. The posterior probability distribution over model parameters is represented using a discrete set of samples and is propagated over time using particle filtering. The approach extends previous work on parameterized optical flow estimation to exploit a complex 3D articulated motion model. It also extends previous work on human motion tracking by including a perspective camera model, by modeling limb self occlusion, and by recovering 3D motion from a monocular sequence. The explicit posterior probability distribution represents ambiguities due to image matching, model singularities, and perspective projection. The method relies only on a frame-to-frame assumption of brightness constancy and hence is able to track people under changing viewpoints, in grayscale image sequences, and with complex unknown backgrounds.

pdf code [BibTex]

Sidenbladh, H., Black, M. J., Fleet, D. Stochastic tracking of 3D human figures using 2D image motion In European Conference on Computer Vision, ECCV, pages: 702-718, LNCS 1843, Springer Verlag, Dublin, Ireland, June 2000 (inproceedings)

pdf code [BibTex]

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Functional analysis of human motion data

Ormoneit, D., Hastie, T., Black, M. J.

In In Proc. 5th World Congress of the Bernoulli Society for Probability and Mathematical Statistics and 63rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, Guanajuato, Mexico, May 2000 (inproceedings)

[BibTex]

Ormoneit, D., Hastie, T., Black, M. J. Functional analysis of human motion data In In Proc. 5th World Congress of the Bernoulli Society for Probability and Mathematical Statistics and 63rd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, Guanajuato, Mexico, May 2000 (inproceedings)

[BibTex]

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Stochastic modeling and tracking of human motion

Ormoneit, D., Sidenbladh, H., Black, M. J., Hastie, T.

Learning 2000, Snowbird, UT, April 2000 (conference)

abstract [BibTex]

Ormoneit, D., Sidenbladh, H., Black, M. J., Hastie, T. Stochastic modeling and tracking of human motion Learning 2000, Snowbird, UT, April 2000 (conference)

abstract [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2012 12 12 um 11.40.47
A framework for modeling the appearance of 3D articulated figures

Sidenbladh, H., De la Torre, F., Black, M. J.

In Int. Conf. on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition, pages: 368-375, Grenoble, France, March 2000 (inproceedings)

pdf [BibTex]

Sidenbladh, H., De la Torre, F., Black, M. J. A framework for modeling the appearance of 3D articulated figures In Int. Conf. on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition, pages: 368-375, Grenoble, France, March 2000 (inproceedings)

pdf [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2012 12 06 um 09.22.34
Design and use of linear models for image motion analysis

Fleet, D. J., Black, M. J., Yacoob, Y., Jepson, A. D.

Int. J. of Computer Vision, 36(3):171-193, 2000 (article)

Abstract
Linear parameterized models of optical flow, particularly affine models, have become widespread in image motion analysis. The linear model coefficients are straightforward to estimate, and they provide reliable estimates of the optical flow of smooth surfaces. Here we explore the use of parameterized motion models that represent much more varied and complex motions. Our goals are threefold: to construct linear bases for complex motion phenomena; to estimate the coefficients of these linear models; and to recognize or classify image motions from the estimated coefficients. We consider two broad classes of motions: i) generic “motion features” such as motion discontinuities and moving bars; and ii) non-rigid, object-specific, motions such as the motion of human mouths. For motion features we construct a basis of steerable flow fields that approximate the motion features. For object-specific motions we construct basis flow fields from example motions using principal component analysis. In both cases, the model coefficients can be estimated directly from spatiotemporal image derivatives with a robust, multi-resolution scheme. Finally, we show how these model coefficients can be use to detect and recognize specific motions such as occlusion boundaries and facial expressions.

pdf [BibTex]

Fleet, D. J., Black, M. J., Yacoob, Y., Jepson, A. D. Design and use of linear models for image motion analysis Int. J. of Computer Vision, 36(3):171-193, 2000 (article)

pdf [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2012 12 06 um 09.48.16
Robustly estimating changes in image appearance

Black, M. J., Fleet, D. J., Yacoob, Y.

Computer Vision and Image Understanding, 78(1):8-31, 2000 (article)

Abstract
We propose a generalized model of image “appearance change” in which brightness variation over time is represented as a probabilistic mixture of different causes. We define four generative models of appearance change due to (1) object or camera motion; (2) illumination phenomena; (3) specular reflections; and (4) “iconic changes” which are specific to the objects being viewed. These iconic changes include complex occlusion events and changes in the material properties of the objects. We develop a robust statistical framework for recovering these appearance changes in image sequences. This approach generalizes previous work on optical flow to provide a richer description of image events and more reliable estimates of image motion in the presence of shadows and specular reflections.

pdf pdf from publisher DOI [BibTex]

Black, M. J., Fleet, D. J., Yacoob, Y. Robustly estimating changes in image appearance Computer Vision and Image Understanding, 78(1):8-31, 2000 (article)

pdf pdf from publisher DOI [BibTex]

1996

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Cardboard people: A parameterized model of articulated motion

Ju, S. X., Black, M. J., Yacoob, Y.

In 2nd Int. Conf. on Automatic Face- and Gesture-Recognition, pages: 38-44, Killington, Vermont, October 1996 (inproceedings)

Abstract
We extend the work of Black and Yacoob on the tracking and recognition of human facial expressions using parameterized models of optical flow to deal with the articulated motion of human limbs. We define a "cardboard person model" in which a person's limbs are represented by a set of connected planar patches. The parameterized image motion of these patches is constrained to enforce articulated motion and is solved for directly using a robust estimation technique. The recovered motion parameters provide a rich and concise description of the activity that can be used for recognition. We propose a method for performing view-based recognition of human activities from the optical flow parameters that extends previous methods to cope with the cyclical nature of human motion. We illustrate the method with examples of tracking human legs over long image sequences.

pdf [BibTex]

1996

Ju, S. X., Black, M. J., Yacoob, Y. Cardboard people: A parameterized model of articulated motion In 2nd Int. Conf. on Automatic Face- and Gesture-Recognition, pages: 38-44, Killington, Vermont, October 1996 (inproceedings)

pdf [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2012 12 07 um 11.52.07
Estimating optical flow in segmented images using variable-order parametric models with local deformations

Black, M. J., Jepson, A.

IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 18(10):972-986, October 1996 (article)

Abstract
This paper presents a new model for estimating optical flow based on the motion of planar regions plus local deformations. The approach exploits brightness information to organize and constrain the interpretation of the motion by using segmented regions of piecewise smooth brightness to hypothesize planar regions in the scene. Parametric flow models are estimated in these regions in a two step process which first computes a coarse fit and estimates the appropriate parameterization of the motion of the region (two, six, or eight parameters). The initial fit is refined using a generalization of the standard area-based regression approaches. Since the assumption of planarity is likely to be violated, we allow local deformations from the planar assumption in the same spirit as physically-based approaches which model shape using coarse parametric models plus local deformations. This parametric+deformation model exploits the strong constraints of parametric approaches while retaining the adaptive nature of regularization approaches. Experimental results on a variety of images indicate that the parametric+deformation model produces accurate flow estimates while the incorporation of brightness segmentation provides precise localization of motion boundaries.

pdf pdf from publisher [BibTex]

Black, M. J., Jepson, A. Estimating optical flow in segmented images using variable-order parametric models with local deformations IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 18(10):972-986, October 1996 (article)

pdf pdf from publisher [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2012 12 07 um 11.59.00
On the unification of line processes, outlier rejection, and robust statistics with applications in early vision

Black, M., Rangarajan, A.

International Journal of Computer Vision , 19(1):57-92, July 1996 (article)

Abstract
The modeling of spatial discontinuities for problems such as surface recovery, segmentation, image reconstruction, and optical flow has been intensely studied in computer vision. While “line-process” models of discontinuities have received a great deal of attention, there has been recent interest in the use of robust statistical techniques to account for discontinuities. This paper unifies the two approaches. To achieve this we generalize the notion of a “line process” to that of an analog “outlier process” and show how a problem formulated in terms of outlier processes can be viewed in terms of robust statistics. We also characterize a class of robust statistical problems for which an equivalent outlier-process formulation exists and give a straightforward method for converting a robust estimation problem into an outlier-process formulation. We show how prior assumptions about the spatial structure of outliers can be expressed as constraints on the recovered analog outlier processes and how traditional continuation methods can be extended to the explicit outlier-process formulation. These results indicate that the outlier-process approach provides a general framework which subsumes the traditional line-process approaches as well as a wide class of robust estimation problems. Examples in surface reconstruction, image segmentation, and optical flow are presented to illustrate the use of outlier processes and to show how the relationship between outlier processes and robust statistics can be exploited. An appendix provides a catalog of common robust error norms and their equivalent outlier-process formulations.

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Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2013 01 14 um 10.48.32
Skin and Bones: Multi-layer, locally affine, optical flow and regularization with transparency

(Nominated: Best paper)

Ju, S., Black, M. J., Jepson, A. D.

In IEEE Conf. on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, CVPR’96, pages: 307-314, San Francisco, CA, June 1996 (inproceedings)

pdf [BibTex]

Ju, S., Black, M. J., Jepson, A. D. Skin and Bones: Multi-layer, locally affine, optical flow and regularization with transparency In IEEE Conf. on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, CVPR’96, pages: 307-314, San Francisco, CA, June 1996 (inproceedings)

pdf [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2013 01 14 um 10.52.58
EigenTracking: Robust matching and tracking of articulated objects using a view-based representation

Black, M. J., Jepson, A.

In Proc. Fourth European Conf. on Computer Vision, ECCV’96, pages: 329-342, LNCS 1064, Springer Verlag, Cambridge, England, April 1996 (inproceedings)

pdf video [BibTex]

Black, M. J., Jepson, A. EigenTracking: Robust matching and tracking of articulated objects using a view-based representation In Proc. Fourth European Conf. on Computer Vision, ECCV’96, pages: 329-342, LNCS 1064, Springer Verlag, Cambridge, England, April 1996 (inproceedings)

pdf video [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2012 12 07 um 12.09.01
The robust estimation of multiple motions: Parametric and piecewise-smooth flow fields

Black, M. J., Anandan, P.

Computer Vision and Image Understanding, 63(1):75-104, January 1996 (article)

Abstract
Most approaches for estimating optical flow assume that, within a finite image region, only a single motion is present. This single motion assumption is violated in common situations involving transparency, depth discontinuities, independently moving objects, shadows, and specular reflections. To robustly estimate optical flow, the single motion assumption must be relaxed. This paper presents a framework based on robust estimation that addresses violations of the brightness constancy and spatial smoothness assumptions caused by multiple motions. We show how the robust estimation framework can be applied to standard formulations of the optical flow problem thus reducing their sensitivity to violations of their underlying assumptions. The approach has been applied to three standard techniques for recovering optical flow: area-based regression, correlation, and regularization with motion discontinuities. This paper focuses on the recovery of multiple parametric motion models within a region, as well as the recovery of piecewise-smooth flow fields, and provides examples with natural and synthetic image sequences.

pdf pdf from publisher [BibTex]

Black, M. J., Anandan, P. The robust estimation of multiple motions: Parametric and piecewise-smooth flow fields Computer Vision and Image Understanding, 63(1):75-104, January 1996 (article)

pdf pdf from publisher [BibTex]

1992

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Psychophysical implications of temporal persistence in early vision: A computational account of representational momentum

Tarr, M. J., Black, M. J.

Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science Supplement, Vol. 36, No. 4, 33, pages: 1050, May 1992 (conference)

abstract [BibTex]

1992

Tarr, M. J., Black, M. J. Psychophysical implications of temporal persistence in early vision: A computational account of representational momentum Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science Supplement, Vol. 36, No. 4, 33, pages: 1050, May 1992 (conference)

abstract [BibTex]

Thumb xl bildschirmfoto 2013 01 14 um 12.01.23
Combining intensity and motion for incremental segmentation and tracking over long image sequences

Black, M. J.

In Proc. Second European Conf. on Computer Vision, ECCV-92, pages: 485-493, LNCS 588, Springer Verlag, May 1992 (inproceedings)

pdf video abstract [BibTex]

Black, M. J. Combining intensity and motion for incremental segmentation and tracking over long image sequences In Proc. Second European Conf. on Computer Vision, ECCV-92, pages: 485-493, LNCS 588, Springer Verlag, May 1992 (inproceedings)

pdf video abstract [BibTex]