Absolute head pose estimation from overhead wide-angle cameras

Most surveillance cameras have a wide-angle field of view and are situated unobtrusively at overhead positions. For this type of application, head pose estimation is very challenging because of the limitations of the quality and resolution of the incoming data. In addition, even though the absolute head pose is constant, the head pose in camera view changes depending upon the location of head with respect the camera. We present a solution to estimate absolute coarse head pose for wide-angle overhead cameras by integrating 3D head position and pose information. The work involves image-based learning, pose correction based on 3D position, and real-time multicamera integration of low-resolution imagery. The system can be applied to an active face catalogger to obtain the best view of the face for surveillance, to customer relationship management to record behavior in retail stores or to virtual reality as an input device.