Motion estimation from a sequence of stereo images: a direct method

This paper presents an approach for estimating motion from a stereo image sequence. First a stereo motion estimation model is derived using the direct dynamic motion estimation technique. The problem is then solved by applying a discrete Kalman filter that facilitates the use of a long stereo image sequence. Major issues in a motion estimation method are stereo matching, temporal matching, and noise sensitivity. In the proposed approach, owing to the use of temporal derivatives in the motion estimation model, temporal matching is not needed. The effort for stereo matching is kept to a minimum by the use of a parallel binocular configuration. Noise smoothing is achieved by the use of a sufficiently large number of measurement points and a long sequence of stereo images. Both simulation and experimental studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach