Generalized Kernel-based Visual Tracking

In this work we generalize the plain MS trackers and attempt to overcome standard mean shift trackers' two limitations. It is well known that modeling and maintaining a representation of a target object is an important component of a successful visual tracker. However, little work has been done on building a robust template model for kernel-based MS tracking. In contrast to building a template from a single frame, we train a robust object representation model from a large amount of data. Tracking is viewed as a binary classification problem, and a discriminative classification rule is learned to distinguish between the object and background. We adopt a support vector machine (SVM) for training. The tracker is then implemented by maximizing the classification score. An iterative optimization scheme very similar to MS is derived for this purpose.Comment: 12 page

A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of Deformable Face Tracking "In-the-Wild"

Recently, technologies such as face detection, facial landmark localisation and face recognition and verification have matured enough to provide effective and efficient solutions for imagery captured under arbitrary conditions (referred to as "in-the-wild"). This is partially attributed to the fact that comprehensive "in-the-wild" benchmarks have been developed for face detection, landmark localisation and recognition/verification. A very important technology that has not been thoroughly evaluated yet is deformable face tracking "in-the-wild". Until now, the performance has mainly been assessed qualitatively by visually assessing the result of a deformable face tracking technology on short videos. In this paper, we perform the first, to the best of our knowledge, thorough evaluation of state-of-the-art deformable face tracking pipelines using the recently introduced 300VW benchmark. We evaluate many different architectures focusing mainly on the task of on-line deformable face tracking. In particular, we compare the following general strategies: (a) generic face detection plus generic facial landmark localisation, (b) generic model free tracking plus generic facial landmark localisation, as well as (c) hybrid approaches using state-of-the-art face detection, model free tracking and facial landmark localisation technologies. Our evaluation reveals future avenues for further research on the topic.Comment: E. Antonakos and P. Snape contributed equally and have joint second authorshi

Object Tracking: Appearance Modeling And Feature Learning

Object tracking in real scenes is an important problem in computer vision due to increasing usage of tracking systems day in and day out in various applications such as surveillance, security, monitoring and robotic vision. Object tracking is the process of locating objects of interest in every frame of video frames. Many systems have been proposed to address the tracking problem where the major challenges come from handling appearance variation during tracking caused by changing scale, pose, rotation, illumination and occlusion. In this dissertation, we address these challenges by introducing several novel tracking techniques. First, we developed a multiple object tracking system that deals specially with occlusion issues. The system depends on our improved KLT tracker for accurate and robust tracking during partial occlusion. In full occlusion, we applied a Kalman filter to predict the object\u27s new location and connect the trajectory parts. Many tracking methods depend on a rectangle or an ellipse mask to segment and track objects. Typically, using a larger or smaller mask will lead to loss of tracked objects. Second, we present an object tracking system (SegTrack) that deals with partial and full occlusions by employing improved segmentation methods: mixture of Gaussians and a silhouette segmentation algorithm. For re-identification, one or more feature vectors for each tracked object are used after target reappearing. Third, we propose a novel Bayesian Hierarchical Appearance Model (BHAM) for robust object tracking. Our idea is to model the appearance of a target as combination of multiple appearance models, each covering the target appearance changes under a certain situation (e.g. view angle). In addition, we built an object tracking system by integrating BHAM with background subtraction and the KLT tracker for static camera videos. For moving camera videos, we applied BHAM to cluster negative and positive target instances. As tracking accuracy depends mainly on finding good discriminative features to estimate the target location, finally, we propose to learn good features for generic object tracking using online convolutional neural networks (OCNN). In order to learn discriminative and stable features for tracking, we propose a novel object function to train OCNN by penalizing the feature variations in consecutive frames, and the tracker is built by integrating OCNN with a color-based multi-appearance model. Our experimental results on real-world videos show that our tracking systems have superior performance when compared with several state-of-the-art trackers. In the feature, we plan to apply the Bayesian Hierarchical Appearance Model (BHAM) for multiple objects tracking

BTLD+:A BAYESIAN APPROACH TO TRACKING LEARNING DETECTION BY PARTS

The contribution proposed in this thesis focuses on this particular instance of the visual tracking problem, referred as Adaptive Ap- iv \ufffcpearance Tracking. We proposed different approaches based on the Tracking Learning Detection (TLD) decomposition proposed in [55]. TLD decomposes visual tracking into three components, namely the tracker, the learner and detector. The tracker and the detector are two competitive processes for target localization based on comple- mentary sources of informations. The former searches for local fea- tures between consecutive frames in order to localize the target; the latter exploits an on-line appearance model to detect confident hy- pothesis over the entire image. The learner selects the final solution among the provided hypothesis. It updates the target appearance model, if necessary, reinitialize the tracker and bootstraps the detec- tor\u2019s appearance model. In particular, we investigated different ap- proaches to enforce the TLD stability. First, we replaced the tracker component with a novel one based on mcmc particle filtering; after- wards, we proposed a robust appearance modeling component able to characterize deformable objects in static images; after all, we inte- grated a modeling component able to integrate local visual features learning into the whole approach, lying to a couple layered represen- tation of the target appearance

Automatic vehicle detection and tracking in aerial video

This thesis is concerned with the challenging tasks of automatic and real-time vehicle detection and tracking from aerial video. The aim of this thesis is to build an automatic system that can accurately localise any vehicles that appear in aerial video frames and track the target vehicles with trackers. Vehicle detection and tracking have many applications and this has been an active area of research during recent years; however, it is still a challenge to deal with certain realistic environments. This thesis develops vehicle detection and tracking algorithms which enhance the robustness of detection and tracking beyond the existing approaches. The basis of the vehicle detection system proposed in this thesis has different object categorisation approaches, with colour and texture features in both point and area template forms. The thesis also proposes a novel Self-Learning Tracking and Detection approach, which is an extension to the existing Tracking Learning Detection (TLD) algorithm. There are a number of challenges in vehicle detection and tracking. The most difficult challenge of detection is distinguishing and clustering the target vehicle from the background objects and noises. Under certain conditions, the images captured from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are also blurred; for example, turbulence may make the vehicle shake during flight. This thesis tackles these challenges by applying integrated multiple feature descriptors for real-time processing. In this thesis, three vehicle detection approaches are proposed: the HSV-GLCM feature approach, the ISM-SIFT feature approach and the FAST-HoG approach. The general vehicle detection approaches used have highly flexible implicit shape representations. They are based on training samples in both positive and negative sets and use updated classifiers to distinguish the targets. It has been found that the detection results attained by using HSV-GLCM texture features can be affected by blurring problems; the proposed detection algorithms can further segment the edges of the vehicles from the background. Using the point descriptor feature can solve the blurring problem, however, the large amount of information contained in point descriptors can lead to processing times that are too long for real-time applications. So the FAST-HoG approach combining the point feature and the shape feature is proposed. This new approach is able to speed up the process that attains the real-time performance. Finally, a detection approach using HoG with the FAST feature is also proposed. The HoG approach is widely used in object recognition, as it has a strong ability to represent the shape vector of the object. However, the original HoG feature is sensitive to the orientation of the target; this method improves the algorithm by inserting the direction vectors of the targets. For the tracking process, a novel tracking approach was proposed, an extension of the TLD algorithm, in order to track multiple targets. The extended approach upgrades the original system, which can only track a single target, which must be selected before the detection and tracking process. The greatest challenge to vehicle tracking is long-term tracking. The target object can change its appearance during the process and illumination and scale changes can also occur. The original TLD feature assumed that tracking can make errors during the tracking process, and the accumulation of these errors could cause tracking failure, so the original TLD proposed using a learning approach in between the tracking and the detection by adding a pair of inspectors (positive and negative) to constantly estimate errors. This thesis extends the TLD approach with a new detection method in order to achieve multiple-target tracking. A Forward and Backward Tracking approach has been proposed to eliminate tracking errors and other problems such as occlusion. The main purpose of the proposed tracking system is to learn the features of the targets during tracking and re-train the detection classifier for further processes. This thesis puts particular emphasis on vehicle detection and tracking in different extreme scenarios such as crowed highway vehicle detection, blurred images and changes in the appearance of the targets. Compared with currently existing detection and tracking approaches, the proposed approaches demonstrate a robust increase in accuracy in each scenario

Vision-based and marker-less surgical tool detection and tracking: a review of the literature

In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in surgical practice for example with Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS). To overcome challenges coming from deported eye-to-hand manipulation, robotic and computer-assisted systems have been developed. Having real-time knowledge of the pose of surgical tools with respect to the surgical camera and underlying anatomy is a key ingredient for such systems. In this paper, we present a review of the literature dealing with vision-based and marker-less surgical tool detection. This paper includes three primary contributions: (1) identification and analysis of data-sets used for developing and testing detection algorithms, (2) in-depth comparison of surgical tool detection methods from the feature extraction process to the model learning strategy and highlight existing shortcomings, and (3) analysis of validation techniques employed to obtain detection performance results and establish comparison between surgical tool detectors. The papers included in the review were selected through PubMed and Google Scholar searches using the keywords: “surgical tool detection”, “surgical tool tracking”, “surgical instrument detection” and “surgical instrument tracking” limiting results to the year range 2000 2015. Our study shows that despite significant progress over the years, the lack of established surgical tool data-sets, and reference format for performance assessment and method ranking is preventing faster improvement

Multi-sensor multi-person tracking on a mobile robot platform

Service robots need to be aware of persons in their vicinity in order to interact with them. People tracking enables the robot to perceive persons by fusing the information of several sensors. Most robots rely on laser range scanners and RGB cameras for this task. The thesis focuses on the detection and tracking of heads. This allows the robot to establish eye contact, which makes interactions feel more natural. Developing a fast and reliable pose-invariant head detector is challenging. The head detector that is proposed in this thesis works well on frontal heads, but is not fully pose-invariant. This thesis further explores adaptive tracking to keep track of heads that do not face the robot. Finally, head detector and adaptive tracker are combined within a new people tracking framework and experiments show its effectiveness compared to a state-of-the-art system

The seventh visual object tracking VOT2019 challenge results

180The Visual Object Tracking challenge VOT2019 is the seventh annual tracker benchmarking activity organized by the VOT initiative. Results of 81 trackers are presented; many are state-of-the-art trackers published at major computer vision conferences or in journals in the recent years. The evaluation included the standard VOT and other popular methodologies for short-term tracking analysis as well as the standard VOT methodology for long-term tracking analysis. The VOT2019 challenge was composed of five challenges focusing on different tracking domains: (i) VOTST2019 challenge focused on short-term tracking in RGB, (ii) VOT-RT2019 challenge focused on 'real-time' shortterm tracking in RGB, (iii) VOT-LT2019 focused on longterm tracking namely coping with target disappearance and reappearance. Two new challenges have been introduced: (iv) VOT-RGBT2019 challenge focused on short-term tracking in RGB and thermal imagery and (v) VOT-RGBD2019 challenge focused on long-term tracking in RGB and depth imagery. The VOT-ST2019, VOT-RT2019 and VOT-LT2019 datasets were refreshed while new datasets were introduced for VOT-RGBT2019 and VOT-RGBD2019. The VOT toolkit has been updated to support both standard shortterm, long-term tracking and tracking with multi-channel imagery. Performance of the tested trackers typically by far exceeds standard baselines. The source code for most of the trackers is publicly available from the VOT page. The dataset, the evaluation kit and the results are publicly available at the challenge website.openopenKristan M.; Matas J.; Leonardis A.; Felsberg M.; Pflugfelder R.; Kamarainen J.-K.; Zajc L.C.; Drbohlav O.; Lukezic A.; Berg A.; Eldesokey A.; Kapyla J.; Fernandez G.; Gonzalez-Garcia A.; Memarmoghadam A.; Lu A.; He A.; Varfolomieiev A.; Chan A.; Tripathi A.S.; Smeulders A.; Pedasingu B.S.; Chen B.X.; Zhang B.; Baoyuanwu B.; Li B.; He B.; Yan B.; Bai B.; Li B.; Li B.; Kim B.H.; Ma C.; Fang C.; Qian C.; Chen C.; Li C.; Zhang C.; Tsai C.-Y.; Luo C.; Micheloni C.; Zhang C.; Tao D.; Gupta D.; Song D.; Wang D.; Gavves E.; Yi E.; Khan F.S.; Zhang F.; Wang F.; Zhao F.; De Ath G.; Bhat G.; Chen G.; Wang G.; Li G.; Cevikalp H.; Du H.; Zhao H.; Saribas H.; Jung H.M.; Bai H.; Yu H.; Peng H.; Lu H.; Li H.; Li J.; Li J.; Fu J.; Chen J.; Gao J.; Zhao J.; Tang J.; Li J.; Wu J.; Liu J.; Wang J.; Qi J.; Zhang J.; Tsotsos J.K.; Lee J.H.; Van De Weijer J.; Kittler J.; Ha Lee J.; Zhuang J.; Zhang K.; Wang K.; Dai K.; Chen L.; Liu L.; Guo L.; Zhang L.; Wang L.; Wang L.; Zhang L.; Wang L.; Zhou L.; Zheng L.; Rout L.; Van Gool L.; Bertinetto L.; Danelljan M.; Dunnhofer M.; Ni M.; Kim M.Y.; Tang M.; Yang M.-H.; Paluru N.; Martinel N.; Xu P.; Zhang P.; Zheng P.; Zhang P.; Torr P.H.S.; Wang Q.Z.Q.; Guo Q.; Timofte R.; Gorthi R.K.; Everson R.; Han R.; Zhang R.; You S.; Zhao S.-C.; Zhao S.; Li S.; Li S.; Ge S.; Bai S.; Guan S.; Xing T.; Xu T.; Yang T.; Zhang T.; Vojir T.; Feng W.; Hu W.; Wang W.; Tang W.; Zeng W.; Liu W.; Chen X.; Qiu X.; Bai X.; Wu X.-J.; Yang X.; Chen X.; Li X.; Sun X.; Chen X.; Tian X.; Tang X.; Zhu X.-F.; Huang Y.; Chen Y.; Lian Y.; Gu Y.; Liu Y.; Chen Y.; Zhang Y.; Xu Y.; Wang Y.; Li Y.; Zhou Y.; Dong Y.; Xu Y.; Zhang Y.; Li Y.; Luo Z.W.Z.; Zhang Z.; Feng Z.-H.; He Z.; Song Z.; Chen Z.; Zhang Z.; Wu Z.; Xiong Z.; Huang Z.; Teng Z.; Ni Z.Kristan, M.; Matas, J.; Leonardis, A.; Felsberg, M.; Pflugfelder, R.; Kamarainen, J. -K.; Zajc, L. C.; Drbohlav, O.; Lukezic, A.; Berg, A.; Eldesokey, A.; Kapyla, J.; Fernandez, G.; Gonzalez-Garcia, A.; Memarmoghadam, A.; Lu, A.; He, A.; Varfolomieiev, A.; Chan, A.; Tripathi, A. S.; Smeulders, A.; Pedasingu, B. S.; Chen, B. X.; Zhang, B.; Baoyuanwu, B.; Li, B.; He, B.; Yan, B.; Bai, B.; Li, B.; Li, B.; Kim, B. H.; Ma, C.; Fang, C.; Qian, C.; Chen, C.; Li, C.; Zhang, C.; Tsai, C. -Y.; Luo, C.; Micheloni, C.; Zhang, C.; Tao, D.; Gupta, D.; Song, D.; Wang, D.; Gavves, E.; Yi, E.; Khan, F. S.; Zhang, F.; Wang, F.; Zhao, F.; De Ath, G.; Bhat, G.; Chen, G.; Wang, G.; Li, G.; Cevikalp, H.; Du, H.; Zhao, H.; Saribas, H.; Jung, H. M.; Bai, H.; Yu, H.; Peng, H.; Lu, H.; Li, H.; Li, J.; Li, J.; Fu, J.; Chen, J.; Gao, J.; Zhao, J.; Tang, J.; Li, J.; Wu, J.; Liu, J.; Wang, J.; Qi, J.; Zhang, J.; Tsotsos, J. K.; Lee, J. H.; Van De Weijer, J.; Kittler, J.; Ha Lee, J.; Zhuang, J.; Zhang, K.; Wang, K.; Dai, K.; Chen, L.; Liu, L.; Guo, L.; Zhang, L.; Wang, L.; Wang, L.; Zhang, L.; Wang, L.; Zhou, L.; Zheng, L.; Rout, L.; Van Gool, L.; Bertinetto, L.; Danelljan, M.; Dunnhofer, M.; Ni, M.; Kim, M. Y.; Tang, M.; Yang, M. -H.; Paluru, N.; Martinel, N.; Xu, P.; Zhang, P.; Zheng, P.; Zhang, P.; Torr, P. H. S.; Wang, Q. Z. Q.; Guo, Q.; Timofte, R.; Gorthi, R. K.; Everson, R.; Han, R.; Zhang, R.; You, S.; Zhao, S. -C.; Zhao, S.; Li, S.; Li, S.; Ge, S.; Bai, S.; Guan, S.; Xing, T.; Xu, T.; Yang, T.; Zhang, T.; Vojir, T.; Feng, W.; Hu, W.; Wang, W.; Tang, W.; Zeng, W.; Liu, W.; Chen, X.; Qiu, X.; Bai, X.; Wu, X. -J.; Yang, X.; Chen, X.; Li, X.; Sun, X.; Chen, X.; Tian, X.; Tang, X.; Zhu, X. -F.; Huang, Y.; Chen, Y.; Lian, Y.; Gu, Y.; Liu, Y.; Chen, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Xu, Y.; Wang, Y.; Li, Y.; Zhou, Y.; Dong, Y.; Xu, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Li, Y.; Luo, Z. W. Z.; Zhang, Z.; Feng, Z. -H.; He, Z.; Song, Z.; Chen, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Wu, Z.; Xiong, Z.; Huang, Z.; Teng, Z.; Ni, Z

An Exploration into Model-Free Online Visual Object Tracking

This thesis presents a thorough investigation of model-free visual object tracking, a fundamental computer vision task that is essential for practical video analytics applications. Given the states of the object in the rst frame, e.g., the position and size of the target, the computational methods developed and advanced in this thesis aim at determining target states in consecutive video frames automatically. In contrast to the tracking schemes that depend strictly on specic object detectors, model-free tracking provides conveniently flexible and competently general solutions where object representations are initiated in the first frame and adapted in an online manner at each frame. We first articulate our motivations and intuitions in Chapter 1, formulate model-free online visual tracking, illustrate outcomes on two representative object tracking applications; drone control and sports video broadcasting analysis, and elaborate other relevant problems. In Chapter 2, we review various tracking methodologies employed by state-ofthe-art trackers and further review related background knowledge, including several important dataset benchmarks and workshop challenges, which are widely used for evaluating the performance of trackers, as well as commonly applied evaluation protocols in this chapter. In Chapter 3 through Chapter 6, we then explore the model-free online visual tracking problem in four different dimensions: 1) learning a more discriminative classier with a two-layer classication hierarchy and background contextual clusters; 2) overcoming the limit of conventionally used local-search scheme with a global object tracking framework based on instance-specic object proposals; 3) tracking object affine motion with a Structured Support Vector Machine (SSVM) framework incorporated with motion manifold structure; 4) an efficient multiple object model-free online tracking approach based on a shared pool of object proposals. Lastly, as a conclusion and future work outlook, we highlight and summarize the contribution of this thesis and discuss several promising research directions in Chapter 7, based on latest work and their drawbacks of current state-of-the-art trackers