Long range facial image acquisition and quality

Abstract This chapter introduces issues in long range facial image acquisition and measures for image quality and their usage. Section 1, on image acquisition for face recognition discusses issues in lighting, sensor, lens, blur issues, which impact short-range biometrics, but are more pronounced in long-range biometrics. Section 2 introduces the design of controlled experiments for long range face, and why they are needed. Section 3 introduces some of the weather and atmospheric effects that occur for long-range imaging, with numerous of examples. Section 4 addresses measurements of “system quality”, including image-quality measures and their use in prediction of face recognition algorithm. That section introduces the concept of failure prediction and techniques for analyzing different “quality ” measures. The section ends with a discussion of post-recognition ”failure prediction ” and its potential role as a feedback mechanism in acquisition. Each section includes a collection of open-ended questions to challenge the reader to think about the concepts more deeply. For some of the questions we answer them after they are introduced; others are left as an exercise for the reader. 1 Image Acquisition Before any recognition can even be attempted, they system must acquire an image of the subject with sufficient quality and resolution to detect and recognize the face. The issues examined in this section are the sensor-issues in lighting, image/sensor resolution issues, the field-of view, the depth of field, and effects of motion blur

Overview of the Integrated Genomic Data system (IGD)

In previous work, we developed a database system to support analysis of the E. coli genome. That system provided a pidgin-English query facility, rudimentary pattern-matching capabilities, and the ability to rapidly extract answers to a wide variety of questions about the organization of the E. coli genome. To enable the comparative analysis of the genomes from different species, we have designed and implemented a new prototype database system, called the Integrated Genomic Database (IGD). IGD extends our earlier effort by incorporating a set of curator`s tools that facilitate the incorporation of physical and genetic data, together with the results of genome organization analysis, into a common database system. Additional tools for extracting, manipulating, and analyzing data are planned

Omnidirectional Video Applications

In the past decade there has been a significant increase in the use of omni-directional video --- video that captures information in all directions. The bulk of this research has concentrated on the use of omni-directional video for navigation and for obstacle avoidance. This paper reviews omni-directional research at the VAST lab that address other applications; in particular, we review advances in systems to address the questions " What is/was there?" (tele-observation), "Where am I?" (location determination), "Where have I been?" (textured-tube mosaicing), and "What is moving around me and where is it?" (surveillance). In the area of tele-observation, we briefly review recent results in both human factors studies on user interfaces for omni-directional imaging in Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). The study clearly demonstrated the importance of omni-directional viewing in these situations. We also review recent work on the DOVE system (Dolphin Omni-directional Video Equipment) and its evaluation. In the area of location determination, we discuss a system that uses a panoramic pyramid imager and a new color histogram-oriented representation to recognize the room in which the camera is located. Addressing the question of "Where have I been?", we introduce the idea of textured tubes and present a simple example of this mosaic computed from omni-directional video. The final area reviewed is recent advances on target detection and tracking from a stationary omni-directional camera

Frame-rate Multi-body Tracking for Surveillance

Video surveillance is watching an area for significant events. Perimeter security generally requires watching areas that afford trespassers reasonable cover and concealment. Almost by definition such "interesting " areas have limited visibility distance. These situations call for a wide field of view, and are a natural application for omni-directional VSAM

Frame-rate omnidirectional surveillance and tracking of camouflaged and occluded targets

Video surveillance is watching an area for significant events. Perimeter security generally requires watching areas that afford trespassers reasonable cover and concealment. By definition, such “interesting ” areas have limited visibility. Furthermore, targets of interest generally attempt to conceal themselves within the cover, sometimes adding camouflage to further reduce their visibility. Such targets are only visible “while in motion”. The combined result of limited visibility distance and target visibility severely reduces the usefulness of any panning-based approach. As a result, these situations call for a wide field of view, and are a natural application for omni-directional VSAM (video surveillance and monitoring). This paper describes an omni-directional tracking system. After motivating its use, we discuss some domain application constraints and background on the paracamera. We then go through the basic components of the frame-rate Lehigh Omni-directional Tracking System (LOTS) and describe some of its unique features. In particular the system’s combined performance depend on novel adaptive multi-background modeling, a novel quasi-connected-components technique that combines thresholding with hysteresis and region merging and cleaning. These key components are described in detail. We end with a summary of an external evaluation of the system

Overview of the Integrated Genomic Data system (IGD)

In previous work, we developed a database system to support analysis of the E. coli genome. That system provided a pidgin-English query facility, rudimentary pattern-matching capabilities, and the ability to rapidly extract answers to a wide variety of questions about the organization of the E. coli genome. To enable the comparative analysis of the genomes from different species, we have designed and implemented a new prototype database system, called the Integrated Genomic Database (IGD). IGD extends our earlier effort by incorporating a set of curator's tools that facilitate the incorporation of physical and genetic data, together with the results of genome organization analysis, into a common database system. Additional tools for extracting, manipulating, and analyzing data are planned