480 research outputs found
Fast and Accurate Algorithm for Eye Localization for Gaze Tracking in Low Resolution Images
Iris centre localization in low-resolution visible images is a challenging
problem in computer vision community due to noise, shadows, occlusions, pose
variations, eye blinks, etc. This paper proposes an efficient method for
determining iris centre in low-resolution images in the visible spectrum. Even
low-cost consumer-grade webcams can be used for gaze tracking without any
additional hardware. A two-stage algorithm is proposed for iris centre
localization. The proposed method uses geometrical characteristics of the eye.
In the first stage, a fast convolution based approach is used for obtaining the
coarse location of iris centre (IC). The IC location is further refined in the
second stage using boundary tracing and ellipse fitting. The algorithm has been
evaluated in public databases like BioID, Gi4E and is found to outperform the
state of the art methods.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, IET Computer Vision, 201
Helioseismic Holography of an Artificial Submerged Sound Speed Perturbation and Implications for the Detection of Pre-Emergence Signatures of Active Regions
We use a publicly available numerical wave-propagation simulation of Hartlep
et al. 2011 to test the ability of helioseismic holography to detect signatures
of a compact, fully submerged, 5% sound-speed perturbation placed at a depth of
50 Mm within a solar model. We find that helioseismic holography as employed in
a nominal "lateral-vantage" or "deep-focus" geometry employing quadrants of an
annular pupil is capable of detecting and characterizing the perturbation. A
number of tests of the methodology, including the use of a plane-parallel
approximation, the definition of travel-time shifts, the use of different
phase-speed filters, and changes to the pupils, are also performed. It is found
that travel-time shifts made using Gabor-wavelet fitting are essentially
identical to those derived from the phase of the Fourier transform of the
cross-covariance functions. The errors in travel-time shifts caused by the
plane-parallel approximation can be minimized to less than a second for the
depths and fields of view considered here. Based on the measured strength of
the mean travel-time signal of the perturbation, no substantial improvement in
sensitivity is produced by varying the analysis procedure from the nominal
methodology in conformance with expectations. The measured travel-time shifts
are essentially unchanged by varying the profile of the phase-speed filter or
omitting the filter entirely. The method remains maximally sensitive when
applied with pupils that are wide quadrants, as opposed to narrower quadrants
or with pupils composed of smaller arcs. We discuss the significance of these
results for the recent controversy regarding suspected pre-emergence signatures
of active regions
A geometric model of multi-scale orientation preference maps via Gabor functions
In this paper we present a new model for the generation of orientation
preference maps in the primary visual cortex (V1), considering both orientation
and scale features. First we undertake to model the functional architecture of
V1 by interpreting it as a principal fiber bundle over the 2-dimensional
retinal plane by introducing intrinsic variables orientation and scale. The
intrinsic variables constitute a fiber on each point of the retinal plane and
the set of receptive profiles of simple cells is located on the fiber. Each
receptive profile on the fiber is mathematically interpreted as a rotated Gabor
function derived from an uncertainty principle. The visual stimulus is lifted
in a 4-dimensional space, characterized by coordinate variables, position,
orientation and scale, through a linear filtering of the stimulus with Gabor
functions. Orientation preference maps are then obtained by mapping the
orientation value found from the lifting of a noise stimulus onto the
2-dimensional retinal plane. This corresponds to a Bargmann transform in the
reducible representation of the group. A
comparison will be provided with a previous model based on the Bargman
transform in the irreducible representation of the group,
outlining that the new model is more physiologically motivated. Then we present
simulation results related to the construction of the orientation preference
map by using Gabor filters with different scales and compare those results to
the relevant neurophysiological findings in the literature
The shape of motion perception: Global pooling of transformational apparent motion
Transformational apparent motion (TAM) is a visual phenomenon highlighting the utility of form information in motion processing. In TAM, smooth apparent motion is perceived when shapes in certain spatiotemporal arrangements change. It has been argued tha
Time-frequency transforms of white noises and Gaussian analytic functions
A family of Gaussian analytic functions (GAFs) has recently been linked to
the Gabor transform of white Gaussian noise [Bardenet et al., 2017]. This
answered pioneering work by Flandrin [2015], who observed that the zeros of the
Gabor transform of white noise had a very regular distribution and proposed
filtering algorithms based on the zeros of a spectrogram. The mathematical link
with GAFs provides a wealth of probabilistic results to inform the design of
such signal processing procedures. In this paper, we study in a systematic way
the link between GAFs and a class of time-frequency transforms of Gaussian
white noises on Hilbert spaces of signals. Our main observation is a conceptual
correspondence between pairs (transform, GAF) and generating functions for
classical orthogonal polynomials. This correspondence covers some classical
time-frequency transforms, such as the Gabor transform and the Daubechies-Paul
analytic wavelet transform. It also unveils new windowed discrete Fourier
transforms, which map white noises to fundamental GAFs. All these transforms
may thus be of interest to the research program `filtering with zeros'. We also
identify the GAF whose zeros are the extrema of the Gabor transform of the
white noise and derive their first intensity. Moreover, we discuss important
subtleties in defining a white noise and its transform on infinite dimensional
Hilbert spaces. Finally, we provide quantitative estimates concerning the
finite-dimensional approximations of these white noises, which is of practical
interest when it comes to implementing signal processing algorithms based on
GAFs.Comment: to appear in Applied and Computational Harmonic Analysi
Visual search under scotopic lighting conditions
AbstractWhen we search for visual targets in a cluttered background we systematically move our eyes around to bring different regions of the scene into foveal view. We explored how visual search behavior changes when the fovea is not functional, as is the case in scotopic vision. Scotopic contrast sensitivity is significantly lower overall, with a functional scotoma in the fovea. We found that in scotopic search, for a medium- and a low-spatial-frequency target, individuals made longer lasting fixations that were not broadly distributed across the entire search display but tended to peak in the upper center, especially for the medium-frequency target. The distributions of fixation locations are qualitatively similar to those of an ideal searcher that has human scotopic detectability across the visual field, and interestingly, these predicted distributions are different from those predicted by an ideal searcher with human photopic detectability. We conclude that although there are some qualitative differences between human and ideal search behavior, humans make principled adjustments in their search behavior as ambient light level decreases
A detection theory account of change detection
Previous studies have suggested that visual short-term memory (VSTM) has a storage limit of approximately four items. However, the type of high-threshold (HT) model used to derive this estimate is based on a number of assumptions that have been criticized in other experimental paradigms (e.g., visual search). Here we report findings from nine experiments in which VSTM for color, spatial frequency, and orientation was modeled using a signal detection theory (SDT) approach. In Experiments 1-6, two arrays composed of multiple stimulus elements were presented for 100 ms with a 1500 ms ISI. Observers were asked to report in a yes/no fashion whether there was any difference between the first and second arrays, and to rate their confidence in their response on a 1-4 scale. In Experiments 1-3, only one stimulus element difference could occur (T = 1) while set size was varied. In Experiments 4-6, set size was fixed while the number of stimuli that might change was varied (T = 1, 2, 3, and 4). Three general models were tested against the receiver operating characteristics generated by the six experiments. In addition to the HT model, two SDT models were tried: one assuming summation of signals prior to a decision, the other using a max rule. In Experiments 7-9, observers were asked to directly report the relevant feature attribute of a stimulus presented 1500 ms previously, from an array of varying set size. Overall, the results suggest that observers encode stimuli independently and in parallel, and that performance is limited by internal noise, which is a function of set size
Neural dynamics of feedforward and feedback processing in figure-ground segregation
Determining whether a region belongs to the interior or exterior of a shape (figure-ground segregation) is a core competency of the primate brain, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Many models assume that figure-ground segregation occurs by assembling progressively more complex representations through feedforward connections, with feedback playing only a modulatory role. We present a dynamical model of figure-ground segregation in the primate ventral stream wherein feedback plays a crucial role in disambiguating a figure's interior and exterior. We introduce a processing strategy whereby jitter in RF center locations and variation in RF sizes is exploited to enhance and suppress neural activity inside and outside of figures, respectively. Feedforward projections emanate from units that model cells in V4 known to respond to the curvature of boundary contours (curved contour cells), and feedback projections from units predicted to exist in IT that strategically group neurons with different RF sizes and RF center locations (teardrop cells). Neurons (convex cells) that preferentially respond when centered on a figure dynamically balance feedforward (bottom-up) information and feedback from higher visual areas. The activation is enhanced when an interior portion of a figure is in the RF via feedback from units that detect closure in the boundary contours of a figure. Our model produces maximal activity along the medial axis of well-known figures with and without concavities, and inside algorithmically generated shapes. Our results suggest that the dynamic balancing of feedforward signals with the specific feedback mechanisms proposed by the model is crucial for figure-ground segregation
Target detection against narrow band noise backgrounds
AbstractWe studied the detectability of narrow band random noise targets embedded in narrow band random noise backgrounds as a function of differences in center frequency, spatial frequency bandwidth and orientation bandwidth between target and the immediately adjacent background. Unlike most target detection experiments the targets were not added to the background; they replaced the underlying background texture. Simulations showed that target detection probabilities could be accounted for by a simple transformation on the summed outputs of a two layer filter model similar to the complex channels model proposed by Graham, Beck and Sutter (Graham, N., Beck, J., & Sutter, A. (1992). Vision Research, 32, 719–743). Subsequently, the model was tested on the detection of camouflaged vehicle targets with encouraging results
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