Andreas Koschan

• Ph.D.
• Professor at University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Spectral imaging (SI) enables us to collect various spectral information at specific wavelengths by dividing the spectrum into multiple bands. As such, SI offers a means to overcome several major challenges specific to current face recognition systems. However, the practical usage of hyperspectral face recognition (HFR) has, to date, been limited d...

Most existing camera placement algorithms focus on coverage and/or visibility analysis, which ensures that the object of interest is visible in the camera's field of view (FOV). However, visibility is inadequate for continuous and automated tracking. In such applications, a sufficient overlap between FOVs should be secured so that camera handoff ca...

Spectral imaging typically generates a large amount of high-dimensional data that are acquired in different sub-bands for each spatial location of interest. The high dimensionality of spectral data imposes limitations on numerical analysis. As such, there is an emerging demand for robust data compression techniques with loss of less relevant inform...

Surveillance and inspection have an important role in security and industry applications and are often carried out with line-scan cameras. The advantages of line-scan cameras include hyper-resolution (larger than 50 Megapixels), continuous image generation, and low cost, to mention a few. However, due to the physical separation of line CCD sensors...

We study face recognition in unconstrained illumination conditions. A twofold contribution is proposed: First, the robustness of four state-of-the-art algorithms, namely Multi-block Local Binary Pattern (MBLBP), Histogram of Gabor Phase Patterns (HGPP), Local Gabor Binary Pattern Histogram Sequence (LGBPHS) and Patterns of Oriented Edge Magnitudes...

Bi-modal image processing can be defined as a series of steps taken to enhance a target image with a guidance image. This is done by using exploitable information derived from acquiring two images of the same scene with different image modalities. However, while the potential benefit of bi-modal image processing may be significant, there is an inhe...

Optimal spectral bands selection is a primordial step in multispectral images based systems for face recognition. In this context, we select the best spectral bands using a multilinear sparse decomposition based approach. Multispectral images of 35 subjects presenting 25 different lengths from 480nm to 720nm and three lighting conditions: fluoresce...

In this paper, we investigate face recognition in unconstrained illumination conditions. A twofold contribution is proposed: First, three state of the art algorithms, namely Multiblock Local Binary Pattern (MBLBP), Histogram of Gabor Phase Patterns (HGPP) and Local Gabor Binary Pattern Histogram Sequence (LGBPHS) are challenged against the IRIS-M3...

A number of stereo matching algorithms have been developed in the last few years, which also have successfully detected occlusions in stereo images. These algorithms typically fall short of a systematic study of occlusions; they predominantly emphasize matching and regard occlusion filling as a secondary operation. Filling occlusions, however, is u...

Due to increasing security concerns, a complete security system should consist of two major components, a computer-based face-recognition system and a real-time automated video surveillance system. A computerbased face-recognition system can be used in gate access control for identity authentication. In recent studies, multispectral imaging and fus...

The relationship between the bilateral kernel function and the recently proposed locally adaptive regression kernel is examined. Despite the difference in implementation, both locally adaptive approaches are designed to prevent averaging across edges while smoothing an image. Their similarity suggests that they can reasonably be linked although bot...

This chapter is aimed at introducing the fundamentals of three-dimensional (3D) imaging to scientists, students, and practitioners while also documenting recent developments in the ability to rapidly digitize real-world environments. We begin with a survey of popular 3D sensing options and list factors that challenge 3D imaging in outdoor environme...

In this paper, we present a new method for a locally adaptive region detector called Bilateral kernel-based Region Detector (BIRD). This work is to detect stable regions from images by consecutively computing a multiscale decomposition based on the bilateral kernel. The BIRD regards a region as covariant if it exhibits predictability in its photome...

Most existing performance evaluation methods concentrate on defining various metrics over a wide range of conditions and generating standard benchmarking video sequences to examine the effectiveness of a video tracking system. It is a common practice to incorporate a robustness margin or factor into the system/algorithm design. However, these metho...

In this paper, we present a method to calibrate and enhance depth information captured by an infrared (IR)-based time-of-flight video-plus-depth camera called “Kinect camera”. For depth data calibration, we use color and IR images of a chessboard with on-off halogen light sources to calculate camera parameters of the video and IR sensors in the Kin...

Robotics technology has become a major interest for groups that deal with hazardous environments. Of special interest is the conversion from telepresence robotics to more automated approaches. In order to facilitate this conversion, we have developed a system for the fast acquisition of large-scale environments to develop the a priori information n...

In this paper, we present a method to enhance noisy depth maps using adaptive steering kernel regression based on distance transform. Data-adaptive kernel regression filters are widely used for image denoising by considering spatial and photometric properties of pixel data. In order to reduce noise in depth maps more efficiently, we adaptively refi...

In this paper, we propose a novel outdoor scene image segmentation algorithm based on background recognition and perceptual organization. We recognize the background objects such as the sky, the ground, and vegetation based on the color and texture information. For the structurally challenging objects, which usually consist of multiple constituent...

16.1 Introduction This chapter addresses the advantages of using multispectral narrow-band images for face recognition, as opposed to conventional broad-band images obtained by color or monochrome cameras (see also the chapter for a discussion of color in face analysis). Narrow-band images are by definition taken over a very small range of waveleng...

Most existing camera placement algorithms focus on coverage and/or visibility analysis, which ensures that the object of interest is visible in the camera's field of view (FOV). According to recent literature, handoff safety margin is introduced to sensor planning so that sufficient overlapped FOVs among adjacent cameras are reserved for successful...

In this paper, we present a new method to generate and serve 3D video represented by video-plus-depth using a time-of-flight (TOF) depth sensor. In practice, depth images captured by the depth sensor have critical problems, such as optical noise, unmatched boundaries with their corresponding color images, and depth flickering artifacts in the tempo...

Most existing performance evaluation methods concentrate on defining separate metrics over a wide range of conditions and generating standard benchmarking video sequences for examining the effectiveness of video tracking systems. In other words, these methods attempt to design a robustness margin or factor for the system. These methods are determin...

In this paper, we present a new method to enhance depth images captured by a time-of-flight (TOF) depth sensor spatially and temporally. In practice, depth images obtained from TOF depth sensors have critical problems, such as optical noise existence, unmatched boundaries, and temporal inconsistency. In this work, we improve depth quality by perfor...

Camera handoff is a crucial step to obtain a continuously tracked and consistently labeled trajectory of the object of interest in multi-camera surveillance systems. Most existing camera handoff algorithms concentrate on data association, namely consistent labeling, where images of the same object are identified across different cameras. However, t...

Online camera selection is introduced as a result of the improved mobility of cameras and the increased scale of surveillance systems. Most existing camera assignment algorithms achieve an optimal observation under the assumption of the unlimited camera computational capacities. However, practical surveillance systems experience resource limitation...

Virtual prototyping of objects with thermal characteristic requirements depends on several aspects such as the geometry of the component, material properties, ambient environmental conditions and most importantly temperature curves/heat patterns of the component when functional. In this case study, we present the data acquisition methodology toward...

In a multi-camera surveillance system, both camera handoff and placement play an important role in generating an automated and persistent object tracking, typical of most surveillance requirements. Camera handoff should comprise three fundamental components, time to trigger handoff process, the execution of consistent labeling, and the selection of...

Novel image fusion approaches, including physics-based weighted fusion, illumination adjustment and rank-based decision level fusion, for spectral face images are proposed for improving face recognition performance compared to conventional images. A new multispectral imaging system is briefly presented which can acquire continuous spectral face ima...

In this paper, we present a 3D automatic registration method based on Gaussian Fields and energy minimization. A continuously differentiable energy function is defined, which is convex in a large neighborhood of the alignment parameters. We show that the size of the region of convergence can be significantly extended reducing the need for close ini...

Video-plus-depth is an image sequence of synchronized color and depth images. As importance of video-plus-depth increases as an essential part of the next-generation multimedia applications, it is crucial to estimate accurate depth information from a real scene and to find a practical framework to use the immersive video in industry. In this chapte...

In this effort, a data-driven and application independent technique to combine focal information from different focal planes is presented. Input images, acquired by imaging systems with limited depth of field, are decomposed using a relatively new analysis tool called curvelets. The extracted curvelets are representative of polar `wedges' from the...

We propose a novel scene image segmentation algorithm based on perceptual organization. We develop a perceptual organization model by quantitatively incorporating a list of Gestalt laws. The perceptual organization model can capture the non-accidental structural relations among the constituent parts of an object. The experimental results show that...

Most existing camera placement algorithms focus on coverage and/or visibility analysis, which ensures that the object of interest is visible in the camera's field of view (FOV). However, visibility, which is a fundamental requirement of object tracking, is insufficient for automated persistent surveillance. In such applications, a continuous consis...

Due to the capacity of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras to simultaneously cover a panoramic area and maintain high resolution imagery, researches in automated surveillance systems with multiple PTZ cameras have become increasingly important. Most existing algorithms require the prior knowledge of intrinsic parameters of the PTZ camera to infer the relat...

This article presents a complete hybrid object recognition system for three-dimensional objects using the characteristic view (ChV) idea. High-quality 2-D reconstructions have to be generated from intensity or color data, respectively, to integrate the ChV represen- tation method into a recognition system. First, we present an approach for obtainin...

In this paper, we present the application of two linear machine learning techniques: ridge regression and kernel regression for the estimation of illumination chromaticity. A number of machine learning techniques, neural networks and support vector machines in particular, are used to estimate the illumination chromaticity. However, neither neural n...

Belief propagation methods are the state-of-the-art with multisensor state localization problems. However, when localization applications have to deal with multimodality sensors whose functionality depends on the environment of operation, we understand the need for an inference framework to identify confident and reliable sensors. Such a framework...

Most existing sensor planning algorithms find it difficult to tackle the discrepancy between a PTZ camera¿s limited instant field of view (FOV) and panoramic achievable FOV. In this paper, we introduce the probability of camera overload to resolve this discrepancy and present a sensor planning algorithm for PTZ cameras under the same framework as...

Here, a versatile data-driven application independent method to extend the depth of field is presented. The principal contribution in this effort is the use of features extracted by empirical mode decomposition, namely Intrinsic Mode Images, for fusion. The input images are decomposed into intrinsic mode images and fusion is performed on the extrac...

Camera handoff is a crucial step to generate a continuously tracked and consistently labeled trajectory of the object of interest in multi-camera surveillance systems. Most existing camera handoff algorithms concentrate on data association, namely consistent labeling, where images of the same object are matched across different cameras. However, mo...

Dual-camera systems have been widely used in surveillance because of the ability to explore the wide field of view (FOV) of the omnidirectional camera and the wide zoom range of the PTZ camera. Most existing algorithms require a priori knowledge of the omnidirectional camera's projection model to solve the nonlinear spatial correspondences between...

of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Multispectral imaging in the visible and near infrared spectra helps reduce color variations in the face due to changes in illumination source types and directions. Thermal infrared imaging provides useful signatures of the face that is insensitive to ambient lighting through the measurement of heat energy radiated from the object. This paper intro...

Humans perceive some objects more complex than others and learning or describing a particular object is directly related to the judged complexity. Towards the goal of understanding why the geometry of some 3D objects appear more complex than others, we conducted a psychophysical study and identified contributing attributes. Our experiments conclude...

The estimation of the fundamental matrix is the key step in feature-based camera ego-motion estimation for applications in scene modeling and vehicle navigation. In this paper, we present a new method of analyzing and further reducing the risk in the fundamental matrix due to the choice of a particular feature detector, the choice of the matching a...

Most existing camera placement algorithms focus on coverage and/or visibility analysis, which ensures that the object of interest is visible in the camera—s field of view (FOV). However, visibility, a fundamental requirement of object tracking, is insufficient for persistent and automated tracking. In such applications, a continuous and consistentl...

Purpose This paper seeks to present a novel X‐ray system and associated image segmentation algorithm for imaging the below‐ground root structures of plants. Design/methodology/approach A matched filter design for segmenting the important root structures from the background clutter in the X‐ray images was presented. Findings The feasibility of roo...

In this paper, we derive a data mining framework to analyze 3D features on human faces. The framework leverages kernel density estimators, genetic algorithm and an information complexity criterion to identify discriminant feature-clusters of lower dimensionality. We apply this framework on human face anthropometry data of 32 features collected from...

In this paper, we propose a series of techniques to enhance the computational performance of existing Belief Propagation (BP) based stereo matching that relies on automatic estimation of the Markov random field (MRF) parameters. First, we show how convergence in matching can be achieved faster than with the existing message comparison technique by...

Multispectral imaging and fusion of multispectral images in visible spectrum have been employed and proved to enhance the recognition performance over conventional broad-band images, especially when the illumination changes. In this paper, we further our study toward the recognition performance of a smaller number of spectral band images. Given the...

In comparison with 2D face images, 3D face models have the advantage of being illumination and pose invariant, which provides improved capability of handling changing environments in practical surveillance. Feature detection, as the initial process of reconstructing 3D face models from 2D un- calibrated image sequences, plays an important role and...

In this chapter, we present methodologies and technologies for automating reverse engineering (RE) through digital imaging and computer vision. We begin this chapter with a definition of RE in terms of generating computer-aided design (CAD) models from existing objects and components. We use the term computer-aided reverse engineering (CARE) to des...

of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007

of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007

In this paper, we present our experience in building a mobile imaging system that incorporates multi-modality sensors for road surface mapping and inspection applications. Our proposed system leverages 3D laser-range sensors, video cameras, global positioning systems (GPS) and inertial measurement units (IMU) towards the generation of photo-realist...

Multifocus fusion is the process of fusing focal information from a set of input images into one all-in- focus image. Here, a versatile multifocus fusion algorithm is presented for application-independent fusion. A focally connected region is a region or a set of regions in an input image that falls under the depth of field of the imaging system. S...

An introduction to color in three-dimensional image processing and the emerging area of multi-spectral image processing The importance of color information in digital image processing is greater than ever. However, the transition from scalar to vector-valued image functions has not yet been generally covered in most textbooks. Now, Digital Color Im...

Problem Statement Aspects of the Human Perception of Color Theoretical Aspects of Pseudocoloring RGB-Based Colormaps HSI-Based Colormaps Experimental Results Performance Evaluation Conclusion References

Optical Flow Photometric Stereo Analysis References

What is a Multispectral Image? Multispectral Image Acquisition Fusion of Visible and Infrared Images for Face Recognition Multispectral Image Fusion in the Visible Spectrum for Face Recognition References

The Background Problem Methods for Tracking Technical Aspects of Tracking Color Active Shape Models References

Standard Color System Physics and Technics-Based Color Spaces Uniform Color Spaces Perception-Based Color Spaces Color Difference Formulas Color Ordering Systems Further Reading References

Geometry of a Stereo Image Acquisition System Area-Based Correspondence Analysis Feature-Based Correspondence Analysis References

Pixel-Based Segmentation Area-Based Segmentation Edge-Based Segmentation Physics-Based Segmentation Comparison of Segmentation Processes References

Highlight Analysis in Color Images Interreflection Analysis in Color Images Color Constancy References

Physiology of Color Vision Receptoral Color Information Postreceptoral Color Information Cortical Color Information Color Constant Perception and Retinex Theory References

Half Title Title Copyright Dedication Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgment

Our sensor selection algorithm targets the problem of global self-localization of multi-sensor mobile robots. The algorithm builds on the probabilistic reasoning using Bayes filters to estimate sensor measurement uncertainty and sensor validity in robot localization. For quantifying measurement uncertainty we score the Bayesian belief probability d...

This paper describes a new software-based registration and fusion of visible and thermal infrared (IR) image data for face recognition in challenging operating environments that involve illumination variations. The combined use of visible and thermal IR imaging sensors offers a viable means for improving the performance of face recognition techniqu...

Multifocus fusion is the process of unifying focal information from a set of input images acquired with limited depth of field. In this effort, we present a general purpose multifocus fusion algorithm, which can be applied to varied applications ranging from microscopic to long range scenes. The main contribution in this paper is the segmentation o...

Interest point detectors are the starting point in image analysis for depth estimation using epipolar geometry and camera ego-motion estimation. With several detectors defined in the literature, some of them outperforming others in a specific application context, we introduce multi-feature sample consensus (MuFeSaC) as an adaptive and automatic pro...

Recently 3D face reconstruction and recognition has gained an important role in computer vision and biometrics research. Depth information of a 3D face can aid solving the uncertainties in illumination and pose variation associated with face recognition. The registration of data that is usually acquired from different views is a fundamental element...

This research is motivated towards the deployment of intelligent robots for under vehicle inspection at check-points, gate-entry terminals and parking lots. Using multi-modality measurements of temperature, range, color, radioactivity and with future potential for chemical and biological sensors, our approach is based on a modular robotic “sensor b...

The past decades have seen significant improvements in 3D imaging where the related techniques and technologies have advanced to a mature state. These exciting developments have sparked increasing interest in industry and academia in the challenges and opportunities afforded by 3D sensing. As a consequence, the emerging area of safety and security...

In this paper, three compression methods, JPEG, JPEG 2000, and Vidware VisionTM are evaluated by different full- and no-reference objective image quality measures including Peak-Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), and Tenengrad. In the meantime, we also propose an image sharpness measure, non-separable rational function base...

Purpose Aims to develop a robotic platform to autonomously track a moving object Design/methodology/approach This robotic platform, based on a modular system known as SafeBot, uses two sensors: a visual CCD camera and a laser‐based range sensor. The rigidly mounted camera tracks an object in front of the platform and generates appropriate drive co...

We propose a simple nonparametric linear regression tool, known as kernel regression (KR), to estimate the illumination chromaticity. We design a Gaussian kernel whose bandwidth is selected empirically. Previously, nonlinear techniques like neural networks (NN) and support vector machines (SVM) are applied to estimate the illumination chromaticity....

Purpose – To present a Mobile Scanning System for digitizing three-dimensional (3D) models of real-world terrain. Design/methodology/approach – A combination of sensors (video, laser range, positioning, orientation) is placed on a mobile platform, which moves past the scene to be digitized. Data fusion from the sensors is performed to construct an...

Face analysis via multispectral imaging is a relatively unexplored territory in face recognition research. The multispectral, multimodal and multi-illuminant IRIS-M3 database was acquired, indoors and outdoors, to promote research in this direction. In the database, each data record has images spanning all bands in the visible spectrum and one ther...

In this effort, we describe a face database obtained by using an involved acquisition system for the collection of multimodal and multispectral image data under various illumination conditions. The database of facial images may aid in exploring new avenues in face recognition, especially when involving multi-band visible and thermal information. Th...

We present our research efforts toward the deployment of 3-D sensing technology to an under-vehicle inspection robot. The 3-D sensing modality provides flexibility with ambient lighting and illumination in addition to the ease of visualization, mobility, and increased confidence toward inspection. We leverage laser-based range-imaging techniques to...

We propose articial potential elds as a support theory for a feature linking algorithm. This algorithm operates on 3D triangle meshes derived from multiple range scans of an ob- ject, and the features of interest are curvature extrema on the object's surface. A problem that arises with detecting these features is that results from standard algorith...

D imaging is a popular method for acquiring accurate models for a variety of applications. However, the size of the geometric features that can be modeled in this manner is dependant on the scanning system's resolution. This paper presents a method that attempts to accurately reconstruct regions whose features are at or below the system's scanning...

We propose a mathematical approach for quantifying shape complexity of 3D surfaces based o n perceptual principles of visual saliency. Our curva ture variation measure (CVM), as a 3D feature, combines surface curvature and information theory by leveraging bandwidth-optimized kernel density estimators. Using a part decomposition algorithm fo r digit...

The purpose of this research is to investigate imaging-based methods to reconstruct 3D CAD models of real-world objects. The methodology uses structured lighting technologies such as coded-pattern projection and laser-based triangulation to sample 3D points on the surfaces of objects and then to reconstruct these surfaces from the dense point sampl...

Color constancy is one of the important research areas with a wide range of applications in the fields of color image processing and computer vision. One such application is video tracking. Color is used as one of the salient features and its robustness to illumination variation is essential to the adaptability of video tracking algorithms. Color c...

The Imaging, Robotics, and Intelligent Systems (IRIS) Laboratory at the University of Tennessee is currently developing a modular approach to unmanned systems to increase mission flexibility and aid system interoperability for security and surveillance applications. The main focus of the IRIS research is the development of sensor bricks where the t...

State-of-the-art unmanned ground vehicles are capable of understanding and adapting to arbitrary road terrain for navigation. The robotic mobility platforms mounted with sensors detect and report security concerns for subsequent action. Often, the information based on the localization of the unmanned vehicle is not sufficient for deploying army res...

This paper presents a tactical path planning algorithm for following ridges or valleys across a 3D terrain. The intent is to generate a path that enables an unmanned vehicle to surveil with maximum observability by traversing the ridges of a terrain or to operate with maximum covertness by navigating the valleys. The input to the algorithm is a 3D...