Registration of multiple point sets using the EM algorithm

We address the problem of global registration between multiple d-dimensional point patterns with a given correspondence. The actual overlapping is not necessarily between pairs. Instead, it can be between any number of patterns. It is assumed that each pattern is a portion of an image of an unobserved object under a distinct rigid transformation. We derive an iterative solution for the problem of global registration of the patterns in order to reconstruct the original object. Our solution is based on the EM algorithm and it generalizes the well known solutions for the two-pattern case. We also suggest a very efficient method to implement the proposed algorithm. Experimental results demonstrate the improved performance of the proposed method