Abstract: An exportable and robust system for turn control using only camera images is proposed for path execution in robot navigation. Robot motion information is extracted in the form of optical flow from SURF robust descriptors of consecutive frames in the image sequence. This information is used to compute the instantaneous rotation angle. Finally, control loop is closed correcting robot displacements when it is requested for a turn command. The proposed system has been successfully tested on the four-legged Sony Aibo robot.

Abstract: Maximizing both the area coverage and the resolution per target is highly desirable in many applications of computer vision. However, with a limited number of cameras viewing a scene, the two objectives are contradictory. This chapter is dedicated to active vision systems, trying to achieve a trade-off between these two aims and examining the use of high-level reasoning in such scenarios. The chapter starts by introducing different approaches to active cameras configurations. Later, a single active camera system to track a moving object is developed, offering the reader first-hand understanding of the issues involved. Another section discusses practical considerations in building an active vision platform, taking as an example a multi-camera system developed for a European project. The last section of the chapter reflects upon the future trends of using semantic factors to drive smartly coordinated active systems.

Abstract: Most applications in image segmentation requires from user interaction in order to achieve accurate results. However, user wants to achieve the desired segmentation accuracy reducing effort of manual labelling. In this work, we extend standard multi-label α-expansion Graph Cut algorithm so that it analyzes the interaction of the user in order to modify the object model and improve final segmentation of objects. The approach is inspired in the fact that fast user interactions may introduce some pixel errors confusing object and background. Our results with different degrees of user interaction and input errors show high performance of the proposed approach on a multi-label human limb segmentation problem compared with classical α-expansion algorithm.

Abstract: JCR Impact Factor 2010: 4.411
Evaluating other individuals with respect to personality characteristics plays a crucial role in human relations and it is the focus of attention for research in diverse fields such as psychology and interactive computer systems. In psychology, face perception has been recognized as a key component of this evaluation system. Multiple studies suggest that observers use face information to infer personality characteristics. Interactive computer systems are trying to take advantage of these findings and apply them to increase the natural aspect of interaction and to improve the performance of interactive computer systems. Here, we experimentally test whether the automatic prediction of facial trait judgments (e.g. dominance) can be made by using the full appearance information of the face and whether a reduced representation of its structure is sufficient. We evaluate two separate approaches: a holistic representation model using the facial appearance information and a structural model constructed from the relations among facial salient points. State of the art machine learning methods are applied to a) derive a facial trait judgment model from training data and b) predict a facial trait value for any face. Furthermore, we address the issue of whether there are specific structural relations among facial points that predict perception of facial traits. Experimental results over a set of labeled data (9 different trait evaluations) and classification rules (4 rules) suggest that a) prediction of perception of facial traits is learnable by both holistic and structural approaches; b) the most reliable prediction of facial trait judgments is obtained by certain type of holistic descriptions of the face appearance; and c) for some traits such as attractiveness and extroversion, there are relationships between specific structural features and social perceptions

Abstract: By means of computer vision algorithms scanned images of maps are processed in order to extract relevant geographic information from printed coordinate pairs. The meaningful information is then transformed into georeferencing information for each single map sheet, and the complete set is compiled to produce a graphical index sheet for the map series along with relevant metadata. The whole process is fully automated and trained to attain maximum effectivity and throughput.

Abstract: Most applications dealing with problems involving the face require a robust estimation of the facial salient points. Nevertheless, this estimation is not usually an automated preprocessing step in applications dealing with facial expression recognition. In this paper we present a simple method to detect facial salient points in the face. It is based on a prior Point Distribution Model and a robust object descriptor. The model learns the distribution of the points from the training data, as well as the amount of variation in location each point exhibits. Using this model, we reduce the search areas to look for each point. In addition, we also exploit the global consistency of the points constellation, increasing the detection accuracy. The method was tested on two separate data sets and the results, in some cases, outperform the state of the art.