Geometric Level Set Methods in Imaging, Vision, and Graphics

Pattern recognition and arti?cial intelligence were the origins of the explorationofthespace ofimages.Simplistic digitaltechniquesusedatthe beg- ning of 60’s for gray image processing operations have been now replaced with a complex mathematical framework that aims to exploit and understand images in two and three dimensions. Level set methods are emerging techniques for representing, deforming, and recovering structures in an arbitrary dimension across different fields (mathematics, fluid dynamics, graphics, imaging, vision, etc.). Advances in numerical analysis have led to computationally efficient tools for computing and analyzing interface motion within level set frameworks in a host of application settings. This authoritative edited survey provides readers with the state-of-the-art in applying level set techniques in the imaging, vision, and graphics domains, presenting thematically grouped chapters contributed by leading experts from both industry and academia. The work bridges the theoretical foundations of level set methods with the latest significant applications. It will assist readers with both the technical aspects of the field as well as its practical ramifications for areas like medical imaging, computer animation, film restoration, video surveillance, visual inspection, and a range of scientific and engineering disciplines. Topics and features: * Covers comprehensively the applications of imaging, vision, & graphics * Includes a helpful introductory survey chapter on level set methods * Provides a complete overview of concepts and advanced technologies in the field * Describes leading-edge research, providing insight into a variety of potential avenues for problem solving * Supplies numerous implementations, examples, and relevant and useful experimental results This essential resource carefully integrates the theoretical foundations of level set methods with their actual performance capabilities. Its clarity of organization and approach makes the book accessible for researchers and professionals working in the areas of vision, graphics, image processing, robotics, mathematics, and computational geometry.> The topic of level sets is currently very timely and useful. They are powerful numerical techniques for analyzing and computing interface motion in a host of application settings. In computer vision, it has been applied to stereo and segmentation, whereas in graphics it has been applied to the postproduction process of in-painting and 3-D model construction. Osher is co-inventor of the Level Set Methods, a pioneering framework introduced jointly with Professor James Sethian from the University of Berkeley in 1998. This methodology has been used up to now to provide solutions to a wide application range not limited to image processing, computer vision, robotics, fluid mechanics, crystallography, lithography, and computer graphics. The topic is of great interest, and the audience is not limited to students, professors, universities, and people working in the areas of graphics (post-production), video-based surveillance, visual inspection, augmented reality, document image processing, and medical image processing. These techniques are already employed to provide solutions and products in the industry too (Cognitech, Siemens, Philips, Focus Imaging). This book can be suitable for a short professional course related with the processing of visual information.