6,202 research outputs found
Hexapod Design For All-Sky Sidereal Tracking
In this paper we describe a hexapod-based telescope mount system intended to
provide sidereal tracking for the Fly's Eye Camera project -- an upcoming
moderate, 21"/pixel resolution all-sky survey. By exploiting such a kind of
meter-sized telescope mount, we get a device which is both capable of
compensating for the apparent rotation of the celestial sphere and the same
design can be used independently from the actual geographical location. Our
construction is the sole currently operating hexapod telescope mount performing
dedicated optical imaging survey with a sub-arcsecond tracking precision.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASP, 10 page
Angular variation as a monocular cue for spatial percepcion
Monocular cues are spatial sensory inputs which are picked up exclusively from one eye. They are in majority static features that
provide depth information and are extensively used in graphic art to create realistic representations of a scene. Since the spatial
information contained in these cues is picked up from the retinal image, the existence of a link between it and the theory of direct
perception can be conveniently assumed. According to this theory, spatial information of an environment is directly contained in the
optic array. Thus, this assumption makes possible the modeling of visual perception processes through computational approaches.
In this thesis, angular variation is considered as a monocular cue, and the concept of direct perception is adopted by a computer
vision approach that considers it as a suitable principle from which innovative techniques to calculate spatial information can be
developed.
The expected spatial information to be obtained from this monocular cue is the position and orientation of an object with respect to
the observer, which in computer vision is a well known field of research called 2D-3D pose estimation. In this thesis, the attempt to
establish the angular variation as a monocular cue and thus the achievement of a computational approach to direct perception is
carried out by the development of a set of pose estimation methods. Parting from conventional strategies to solve the pose
estimation problem, a first approach imposes constraint equations to relate object and image features. In this sense, two algorithms
based on a simple line rotation motion analysis were developed. These algorithms successfully provide pose information; however,
they depend strongly on scene data conditions. To overcome this limitation, a second approach inspired in the biological processes
performed by the human visual system was developed. It is based in the proper content of the image and defines a computational
approach to direct perception.
The set of developed algorithms analyzes the visual properties provided by angular variations. The aim is to gather valuable data
from which spatial information can be obtained and used to emulate a visual perception process by establishing a 2D-3D metric
relation. Since it is considered fundamental in the visual-motor coordination and consequently essential to interact with the
environment, a significant cognitive effect is produced by the application of the developed computational approach in environments
mediated by technology. In this work, this cognitive effect is demonstrated by an experimental study where a number of participants
were asked to complete an action-perception task. The main purpose of the study was to analyze the visual guided behavior in
teleoperation and the cognitive effect caused by the addition of 3D information. The results presented a significant influence of the
3D aid in the skill improvement, which showed an enhancement of the sense of presence.Las señales monoculares son entradas sensoriales capturadas exclusivamente por un
solo ojo que ayudan a la percepción de distancia o espacio. Son en su mayoría
características estáticas que proveen información de profundidad y son muy
utilizadas en arte gráfico para crear apariencias reales de una escena. Dado que la
información espacial contenida en dichas señales son extraídas de la retina, la
existencia de una relación entre esta extracción de información y la teoría de
percepción directa puede ser convenientemente asumida. De acuerdo a esta teoría, la
información espacial de todo le que vemos está directamente contenido en el arreglo
óptico. Por lo tanto, esta suposición hace posible el modelado de procesos de
percepción visual a través de enfoques computacionales. En esta tesis doctoral, la
variación angular es considerada como una señal monocular, y el concepto de
percepción directa adoptado por un enfoque basado en algoritmos de visión por
computador que lo consideran un principio apropiado para el desarrollo de nuevas
técnicas de cálculo de información espacial.
La información espacial esperada a obtener de esta señal monocular es la posición y
orientación de un objeto con respecto al observador, lo cual en visión por computador
es un conocido campo de investigación llamado estimación de la pose 2D-3D. En esta
tesis doctoral, establecer la variación angular como señal monocular y conseguir un
modelo matemático que describa la percepción directa, se lleva a cabo mediante el
desarrollo de un grupo de métodos de estimación de la pose. Partiendo de estrategias
convencionales, un primer enfoque implanta restricciones geométricas en ecuaciones
para relacionar características del objeto y la imagen. En este caso, dos algoritmos
basados en el análisis de movimientos de rotación de una línea recta fueron
desarrollados. Estos algoritmos exitosamente proveen información de la pose. Sin
embargo, dependen fuertemente de condiciones de la escena. Para superar esta
limitación, un segundo enfoque inspirado en los procesos biológicos ejecutados por el
sistema visual humano fue desarrollado. Está basado en el propio contenido de la
imagen y define un enfoque computacional a la percepción directa.
El grupo de algoritmos desarrollados analiza las propiedades visuales suministradas
por variaciones angulares. El propósito principal es el de reunir datos de importancia
con los cuales la información espacial pueda ser obtenida y utilizada para emular
procesos de percepción visual mediante el establecimiento de relaciones métricas 2D-
3D. Debido a que dicha relación es considerada fundamental en la coordinación
visuomotora y consecuentemente esencial para interactuar con lo que nos rodea, un
efecto cognitivo significativo puede ser producido por la aplicación de métodos de
L
estimación de pose en entornos mediados tecnológicamente. En esta tesis doctoral, este
efecto cognitivo ha sido demostrado por un estudio experimental en el cual un número
de participantes fueron invitados a ejecutar una tarea de acción-percepción. El
propósito principal de este estudio fue el análisis de la conducta guiada visualmente en
teleoperación y el efecto cognitivo causado por la inclusión de información 3D. Los
resultados han presentado una influencia notable de la ayuda 3D en la mejora de la
habilidad, así como un aumento de la sensación de presencia
The Illumination and Growth of CRL 2688: An Analysis of New & Archival HST Observations
We present four-color images of CRL 2688 obtained in 2009 using the
Wide-Field Camera 3 on HST. The F606W image is compared with archival images in
very similar filters to monitor the proper motions of nebular structure. We
find that the bright N-S lobes have expanded uniformly by 2.5% and that the
ensemble of rings has translated radially by 0.07 in 6.65 y. The rings were
ejected every 100y for ~4 millennia until the lobes formed 250y ago. Starlight
scattered from the edges of the dark E-W dust lane is coincident with extant H2
images and leading tips of eight pairs of CO outflows. We interpret this as
evidence that fingers lie within geometrically opposite cones of opening angles
{\approx} 30{\circ} like those in CRL618. By combining our results of the rings
with 12CO absorption from the extended AGB wind we ascertain that the rings
were ejected at ~18 km s-1 with very little variation and that the distance to
CRL2688, v_{exp}{\dot\theta}_exp$, is 300 - 350 pc. Our 2009 imaging
program included filters that span 0.6 to 1.6{\mu}m. We constructed a
two-dimensional dust scattering model of stellar radiation through CRL2688 that
successfully reproduces the details of the nebular geometry, its integrated
spectral energy distribution, and nearly all of its color variations. The model
implies that the optical opacity of the lobes >~ 1, the dust particle density
in the rings decreases as radius^{-3} and that the mass and momentum of the AGB
winds and their rings have increased over time.Comment: (51 pages, 6 figures; accepted by ApJ
Multiple View Geometry For Video Analysis And Post-production
Multiple view geometry is the foundation of an important class of computer vision techniques for simultaneous recovery of camera motion and scene structure from a set of images. There are numerous important applications in this area. Examples include video post-production, scene reconstruction, registration, surveillance, tracking, and segmentation. In video post-production, which is the topic being addressed in this dissertation, computer analysis of the motion of the camera can replace the currently used manual methods for correctly aligning an artificially inserted object in a scene. However, existing single view methods typically require multiple vanishing points, and therefore would fail when only one vanishing point is available. In addition, current multiple view techniques, making use of either epipolar geometry or trifocal tensor, do not exploit fully the properties of constant or known camera motion. Finally, there does not exist a general solution to the problem of synchronization of N video sequences of distinct general scenes captured by cameras undergoing similar ego-motions, which is the necessary step for video post-production among different input videos. This dissertation proposes several advancements that overcome these limitations. These advancements are used to develop an efficient framework for video analysis and post-production in multiple cameras. In the first part of the dissertation, the novel inter-image constraints are introduced that are particularly useful for scenes where minimal information is available. This result extends the current state-of-the-art in single view geometry techniques to situations where only one vanishing point is available. The property of constant or known camera motion is also described in this dissertation for applications such as calibration of a network of cameras in video surveillance systems, and Euclidean reconstruction from turn-table image sequences in the presence of zoom and focus. We then propose a new framework for the estimation and alignment of camera motions, including both simple (panning, tracking and zooming) and complex (e.g. hand-held) camera motions. Accuracy of these results is demonstrated by applying our approach to video post-production applications such as video cut-and-paste and shadow synthesis. As realistic image-based rendering problems, these applications require extreme accuracy in the estimation of camera geometry, the position and the orientation of the light source, and the photometric properties of the resulting cast shadows. In each case, the theoretical results are fully supported and illustrated by both numerical simulations and thorough experimentation on real data
AFFECT-PRESERVING VISUAL PRIVACY PROTECTION
The prevalence of wireless networks and the convenience of mobile cameras enable many new video applications other than security and entertainment. From behavioral diagnosis to wellness monitoring, cameras are increasing used for observations in various educational and medical settings. Videos collected for such applications are considered protected health information under privacy laws in many countries. Visual privacy protection techniques, such as blurring or object removal, can be used to mitigate privacy concern, but they also obliterate important visual cues of affect and social behaviors that are crucial for the target applications. In this dissertation, we propose to balance the privacy protection and the utility of the data by preserving the privacy-insensitive information, such as pose and expression, which is useful in many applications involving visual understanding.
The Intellectual Merits of the dissertation include a novel framework for visual privacy protection by manipulating facial image and body shape of individuals, which: (1) is able to conceal the identity of individuals; (2) provide a way to preserve the utility of the data, such as expression and pose information; (3) balance the utility of the data and capacity of the privacy protection.
The Broader Impacts of the dissertation focus on the significance of privacy protection on visual data, and the inadequacy of current privacy enhancing technologies in preserving affect and behavioral attributes of the visual content, which are highly useful for behavior observation in educational and medical settings. This work in this dissertation represents one of the first attempts in achieving both goals simultaneously
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