Dynamic control of motion detection by an active, mobile observer

The authors consider the problem of visual motion detection by a moving observer assuming that the observer is active in the acquisition of images. An exploratory activity paradigm is presented that requires small shifts in the location of the focus of expansion (FOE) of the observer motion. A theoretical analysis is done based on geometric considerations to establish conditions that are necessary and sufficient to guarantee motion detection at a point. The detection problem is posed in terms of locally computable image quantities that make it implementable in real time, and free the user from making any global assumptions about the scene that may fail in the real world. This provides a way of dynamically controlling the motion detection strategy to best suit the current goal or purpose of the overall system