Dynamic-scene and motion analysis using passive sensors I. A qualitative approach

Some dynamic-scene and motion analysis techniques developed to support the DARPA Strategic Computing program´s autonomous land vehicle effort are described. The approach, called dynamic reasoning from integrated visual evidence (DRIVE), addresses the key problems of estimating robot motion from visual cues, detecting and tracking moving objects, and constructing and maintaining a global dynamic reference model. With reliable computation of displacement fields, this qualitative technique for understanding dynamic scenes reasons accurately on hundreds of image frames. The technique can also be extended to cases where the features are lines, regions, or contours.<>