Directional force field-based maps: Implementation and application

Abstract

A directional relationship (e.g., right, above) to a reference object can be modeled by a directional map - an image where the value of each point represents how well the relationship holds between the point and the object. As we showed in previous work, such a map can be derived from a force field created by the object (which is seen as a physical entity). This force field-based model, defined by equations in the continuous domain, shows unique characteristics. However, the approximation algorithms that were proposed in the case of 2-D raster data lack efficiency and accuracy. We introduce here new algorithms that correct this flaw, and we illustrate the potential of the force field-based approach through an application to scene matching. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.