Hierarchical stereo matching using feature groupings

A feature based stereo matching system is designed. A hierarchical grouping process that groups line segments into more complex structures that are easier to match is proposed. The hierarchy consists of lines, vertices, edges and surfaces. Matching starts at the highest level of the hierarchy (surfaces) and proceeds to the lowest (lines). Higher level features are easier to match, because they are fewer in number and more distinct in form. These matches then constrain the matches at lower levels. Perceptual and structural relations are used to group matches into islands of certainty. A truth maintenance system (TMS) is used to enforce grouping constraints and eliminates inconsistent match groupings