Vision systems to be RARE or not to be

Based on detailed examples in image segmentation and interpretation the authors describe a dedicated programming methodology and environment in vision, together with the way to make systems robust, autonomous, rapid, and embarkable (RARE). The realization of such systems will require: expert system generators in image processing, relying on rather complex languages made of pictorial primitives and programming mechanisms by analogy; specialized integrated circuits for vision output from emulators (provided advanced graphical interfaces), massively parallel processors, or smart sensors; and controllers exploiting sophisticated results in stochastic and symbolic, distributed control theory