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Rear projection of large-scale upright displays is often preferred over front projection because of the lack of shadows that occlude the projected image. However, rear projection is not always a feasible option for space and cost reasons. Recent research suggests that many of the desirable features of rear projection, in particular shadow elimination, can be reproduced using new front projection techniques. We report on the results of an empirical study comparing two new projection techniques with traditional rear projection and front projection.

The use of Bayesian networks for classification problems has received significant recent attention. Although computationally efficient, the standard maximum likelihood learning method tends to be suboptimal due to the mismatch between its optimization criteria (data likelihood) and the actual goal for classification (label prediction). Recent approaches to optimizing the classification performance during parameter or structure learning show promise, but lack the favorable computational properties of maximum likelihood learning. In this paper we present the Boosted Augmented Naive Bayes (BAN) classifier. We show that a combination of discriminative data-weighting with generative training of intermediate models can yield a computationally efficient method for discriminative parameter learning and structure selection.

We introduce parametric switching linear dynamic systems (P-SLDS) for learning and interpretation of parametrized motion, i.e., motion that exhibits systematic temporal and spatial variations. Our motivating example is the honeybee dance: bees communicate the orientation and distance to food sources through the dance angles and waggle lengths of their stylized dances. Switching linear dynamic systems (SLDS) are a compelling way to model such complex motions. However, SLDS does not provide a means to quantify systematic variations in the motion. Previously, Wilson & Bobick (1999) presented parametric HMMs, an extension to HMMs with which they successfully interpreted human gestures. Inspired by their work, we similarly extend the standard SLDS model to obtain parametric SLDS. We introduce additional global parameters that represent systematic variations in the motion, and present general expectation-maximization (EM) methods for learning and inference. In the learning phase, P-SLDS learns canonical SLDS model from data. In the inference phase, P-SLDS simultaneously quantifies the global parameters and labels the data. We apply these methods to the automatic interpretation of honey-bee dances, and present both qualitative and quantitative experimental results on actual bee-tracks collected from noisy video data

In this paper, we examine the feasibility of sound source localization (SSL) in a home environment, and explore its potential to support inference of communication activity between people. Motivated by recent research in pervasive computing that uses a variety of sensor modes to infer high-level activity, we are interested in exploring how the relatively simple information of SSL might contribute. Our SSL system covers a significant portion of the public space in a realistic home setting by adapting traditional SSL algorithms developed for more highly-controlled lab environments. We describe engineering tradeoffs that result in a localization system with a fairly good 3D resolution. To help make design decisions for deploying a SSL system in a domestic environment, we provide a quantitative assessment of the accuracy and precision of our system. We also demonstrate how such a sensor system can provide a visualization to help humans infer activity in that space. Finally, we show preliminary results for automatic detection of face-to-face conversations.

In the paper, we identify a problem for certain applications wishing to use the Web service paradigm to enhance interoperability: rapid, robust state maintenance. While many features are available to support session data, special mechanisms for application state maintenance are less well developed. We discuss three different models to solve the problem and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each. Experimental results show that which model to use depends on application requirements. D-Stampede.NET is a platform supporting the development of applications that involve large time-sequenced data communication among heterogeneous clients. We describe our Web service implementation along with our state server solution to the application state management problem. A simple demonstration application is described and measured to validate performance.

Face detection methods based on cascade architecture have demonstrated fast and robust performance. Cascade learning is aided by the modularity of the architecture in which nodes are chained together to form a cascade. In this paper we present two new cascade learning results which address the decoupled nature of the cascade learning task. First, we introduce a cascade indifference curve framework, which connects the learning objectives for a node to the overall cascade performance. We derive a new cost function for node learning, which yields fully-automatic stopping conditions and improved detection performance. Second, we introduce the concept of perturbation bias, which leverages the statistical differences between target and non-target classes in a detection problem to obtain improved performance and robustness. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the success of the method and present experimental results.

Speech reading, also known as lip reading, is aimed at extracting visual cues of lip and facial movements to aid in recognition of speech. The main hurdle for speech reading is that visual measurements of lip and facial motion lack information-rich features like the Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC), widely used in acoustic speech recognition. These MFCC are used with hidden Markov models (HMM) in most speech recognition systems at present. Speech reading could greatly benefit from automatic selection and formation of informative features from measurements in the visual domain. These new features can then be used with HMM to capture the dynamics of lip movement and eventual recognition of lip shapes. Towards this end, we use AdaBoost methods for automatic visual feature formation. Specifically, we design an asymmetric variant of AdaBoost M2 algorithm to deal with the ill-posed multi-class sample distribution inherent in our problem. Our experiments show that the boosted HMM approach outperforms conventional AdaBoost and HMM classifiers. Our primary contributions are in the design of (a) boosted HMM and (b) asymmetric multi-class boosting.

A system of coordinated projectors and cameras enables the creation of projected light displays that are robust to environmental disturbances. This paper describes approaches for tackling both geometric and photometric aspects of the problem: (1) the projected image remains stable even when the system components (projector, camera or screen) are moved; (2) the display automatically removes shadows caused by users moving between a projector and the screen, while simultaneously suppressing projected light on the user. The former can be accomplished without knowing the positions of the system components. The latter can be achieved without direct observation of the occluder. We demonstrate that the system responds quickly to environmental disturbances and achieves low steady-state errors.

Two related problems of front projection displays, which occur when users obscure a projector, are: (i) undesirable shadows cast on the display by the users, and (ii) projected light falling on and distracting the users. This paper provides a computational framework for solving these two problems based on multiple overlapping projectors and cameras. The overlapping projectors are automatically aligned to display the same dekeystoned image. The system detects when and where shadows are cast by occluders and is able to determine the pixels, which are occluded in different projectors. Through a feedback control loop, the contributions of unoccluded pixels from other projectors are boosted in the shadowed regions, thereby eliminating the shadows. In addition, pixels, which are being occluded, are blanked, thereby preventing the projected light from falling on a user when they occlude the display. This can be accomplished even when the occluders are not visible to the camera. The paper presents results from a number of experiments demonstrating that the system converges rapidly with low steady-state errors.

Bayesian networks are an attractive modeling tool for human sensing, as they combine an intuitive graphical representation with efficient algorithms for inference and learning. Earlier work has demonstrated that boosted parameter learning could be used to improve the performance of Bayesian network, classifiers for complex multi-modal inference problems such as speaker detection. In speaker detection, the goal is to use video and audio cites to infer when a person is speaking to a user interface. In this paper we introduce a new boosted structure learning algorithm based on AdaBoost. Given labeled data, our algorithm modifies both the network structure and parameters so as to improve classification accuracy. We compare its performance to both standard structure learning and boosted parameter learning on a fixed structure. We present results for speaker detection and for the UCI "chess" dataset.

This paper describes a probabilistic multiple-hypothesis framework for tracking highly articulated objects. In this framework, the probability density of the tracker state is represented as a set of modes with piecewise Gaussians characterizing the neighborhood around these modes. The temporal evolution of the probability density is achieved through sampling from the prior distribution, followed by local optimization of the sample positions to obtain updated modes. This method of generating hypotheses from state-space search does not require the use of discrete features unlike classical multiple-hypothesis tracking. The parametric form of the model is suited for high dimensional state-spaces which cannot be efficiently modeled using non-parametric approaches. Results are shown for tracking Fred Astaire in a movie dance sequence.

Computer sensing of hand and limb motion is an important problem for applications in human-computer interaction (HCI), virtual reality, and athletic performance measurement. Commercially available sensors are invasive, and require the user to wear gloves or targets. We have developed a noninvasive vision-based hand tracking system, called DigitEyes. Employing a kinematic hand model, the DigitEyes system has demonstrated tracking performance at speeds of up to 10 Hz, using line and point features extracted from gray scale images of unadorned, unmarked hands. We describe an application of our sensor to a 3D mouse user-interface problem. >

A novel solution to the 2-D tracking problem is presented. This solution has two major components: a deformation model that constrains the interpretation of motion, and a set of energy-based match criteria that specify image features to be used in tracking. The separation of the motion model from the match features is an advantage of this approach over previous tracking systems. An implementation of these ideas has been shown to exhibit fast and flexible operation over a wide class of image motions. Experimental results are given for two real-world image sequences. >

We analyze the use of kinematic constraints for articulated object tracking. Conditions for the occurrence of singularities in 3-D models are presented and their effects on tracking are characterized We describe a novel 2-D Scaled Prismatic Model (SPM) for figure registration. In contrast to 3-D kinematic models, the SPM has fewer singularity problems and does not require detailed knowledge of the 3-D kinematics. We fully characterize the singularities in the SPM and illustrate tracking through singularities using synthetic and real examples with 3-D and 2-D models. Our results demonstrate the significant benefits of the SPM in tracking with a single source of video.

We present a novel application of the Expectation-Maximization algorithm to the global analysis of articulated motion. The approach utilizes a kinematic model to constrain the motion estimates, producing a segmentation of the flow field into parts with different articulated motions. Experiments with synthetic and real images are described.

We describe a novel computer vision application: vision-based human sensing for a Smart Kiosk interface. A Smart Kiosk is a free-standing information dispensing computer appliance capable of engaging in public interactions with multiple people. Vision sensing is a critical component of the kiosk interface, where it is used to determine the context for the interaction. We present a taxonomy of vision problems for a kiosk interface and describe a prototype kiosk which uses color stereo tracking and graphical output to interact with several users.

Computer sensing of hand and limb motion is an important problem for applications in human computer interaction and computer graphics. We describe a framework for local trading of self occluding motion, in which one part of an object obstructs the visibility of another. Our approach uses a kinematic model to predict occlusions and windowed templates to track partially occluded objects. We present offline 3D tracking results for hand motion with significant self occlusion. >

The human figure exhibits complex and rich dynamic behavior that is both nonlinear and time-varying. However, most work on tracking and analysis of figure motion has employed either generic or highly specific hand-tailored dynamic models superficially coupled with hidden Markov models (HMMs) of motion regimes. Recently, an alternative class of learned dynamic models known as switching linear dynamic systems (SLDSs) has been cast in the framework of dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) and applied to analysis and tracking of the human figure. In this paper we further study the impact of learned SLDS models on analysis and tracking of human motion and contrast them to the more common HMM models. We develop a novel approximate structured variational inference algorithm for SLDS, a globally convergent DBN inference scheme, and compare it with standard SLDS inference techniques. Experimental results on learning and analysis of figure dynamics from video data indicate the significant potential of the SLDS approach.

Design and development of novel human-computer interfaces poses a challenging problem: actions and intentions of users have to be inferred from sequences of noisy and ambiguous multi-sensory data such as video and sound. Temporal fusion of multiple sensors has been efficiently formulated using dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) which allows the power of statistical inference and learning to be combined with contextual knowledge of the problem. Unfortunately simple learning methods can cause such appealing models to fail when the data exhibits complex behavior. We formulate a learning framework for DBNs based on error-feedback and statistical boosting theory. We apply this framework to the problem of audio/visual speaker detection in an interactive kiosk environment using "off-the-shelf" visual and audio sensors (face, skin, texture, mouth motion, and silence detectors). Detection results obtained in this setup demonstrate superiority of our learning framework over that of the classical ML learning in DBNs.

The development of human-computer interfaces poses a challenging problem: actions and intentions of different users have to be inferred from sequences of noisy and ambiguous sensory data. Temporal fusion of multiple sensors can be efficiently formulated using dynamic Bayesian networks (DBN). The DBN framework allows the power of statistical inference and learning to be combined with contextual knowledge of the problem. We demonstrate the use of DBN in tackling the problem of audio/visual speaker detection. "Off-the-shelf" visual and audio sensors (face, skin, texture, mouth motion, and silence detectors) are optimally fused along with contextual information in a DBN architecture that infers instances when an individual is speaking. Results obtained in the setup of an actual human-machine interaction system (Genie Casino Kiosk) demonstrate superiority of our approach over that of static, context-free fusion architecture.

This paper discusses the potential benefits of application specific power management through remote task execution. Power management is crucial for mobile devices that have to rely on battery power for extended periods of time. Image processing and understanding is a class of applications that is important in mobile environments. Image processing can be used in autonomous robot navigation, target acquisition/classification, keyboard-less input, and aerial surveillance (Micro Air Vehicles), just to mention a few. Experimental results on an image processing application, namely a human face detection and recognition system, indicate the power savings that can be achieved for this important class of applications. We discuss a compilation strategy that generates two versions of the initial application, one to be executed on the mobile device (client), and the other on a machine connected to the mobile device via a wireless network (server). The client and server codes have to be able to deal with disconnection events. Our proposed compilation strategy uses checkpointing techniques to allow the client to monitor program progress on the server, and to request checkpoint data in order to reduce the performance penalty in case of a possible server and/or network failure. The reported results have been obtained by actual power measurements on three client systems, (1) the StrongARM based low-power SKIFF system developed at Compaq’s Cambridge Research Laboratory, (2) Compaq’s commercially available StrongARM based iPAQ H3600, and (3) a Pentium II based laptop. Initial experiments show that energy consumption can be reduced significantly, in some cases up to one order of magnitude, depending on the selected characteristics of the mobile device, remote host, and wireless network. A prototype implementation of the discussed compilation framework is underway, and preliminary results are reported.

We describe a new approach to video editing based on the semi-automatic segmentation of video into multiple layers and the composition of layers using image-based rendering. Using figure tracking and background motion estimation, we can segment a moving figure and reconstruct the background. Using geometrically-correct pixel reprojection, layers can be composited on the basis of the geometry of the underlying scene and the position of a virtual camera. We have implemented a prototype editing system called SpliceWorld.

Realistic interactive multimedia involving vision, animation, and multimedia collaboration is likely to become an important aspect of future computer applications. The scalable parallelism inherent in such applications coupled with their computational demands make them ideal candidates for SMPs and clusters of SMPs. These applications have novel requirements that offer new kinds of challenges for parallel system design.We have designed a programming system called Stampede that offers many functionalities needed to simplify development of such applications (such as high-level data sharing abstractions, dynamic cluster-wide threads, and multiple address spaces). We have built Stampede and it runs on clusters of SMPs. To date we have implemented two applications on Stampede, one of which is discussed herein.In this paper we describe a part of Stampede called Space-Time Memory (STM). It is a novel data sharing abstraction that enables interactive multimedia applications to manage a collection of time-sequenced data items simply, efficiently, and transparently across a cluster. STM relieves the application programmer from low level synchronization and data communication by providing a high level interface that subsumes buffer management, inter-thread synchronization, and location transparency for data produced and accessed anywhere in the cluster. STM also automatically handles garbage collection of data items that will no longer be accessed by any of the application threads. We discuss ease of use issues for developing applications using STM, and present preliminary performance results to show that STM's overhead is low.

There is an emerging class of computationally demanding multimedia applications involving vision, speech and interaction with the real world (e.g., CRL’s Smart Kiosk). These applications are highly parallel and require low latencies for good performance. They are well-suited for implementation on clusters of SMP's, but they require efficient scheduling of application tasks. General purpose schedulers produce high latencies because they lack knowledge of the dependencies between tasks. Previous research in optimal scheduling has been limited to static problems. In contrast, our application is highly dynamic as the optimal schedule depends upon the behavior of the kiosk's customers. We observe that the dynamism of our application class is constrained, in that there are a small number of operating regimes which are determined by the state of the application. We present a framework for optimal scheduling of constrained dynamic applications. The results of an experimental comparison with a hand-tuned schedule are promising.

Stampede is a programming system for emerging scalable applications on clusters. The goal is to simplify the programming of applications that are interactive (often using vision and speech), that have highly dynamic computation structures, and that must run on platforms consisting of a mix of front-end machines and high-performance back-end servers with a variety of processors and interconnects. We approach this goal by retaining, as far as possible, the well-known POSIX threads model currently in use on SMPs. Stampede offers cluster-wide threads with optional loose temporal synchrony, and consistently-cached distributed shared objects. A higher-level sharing/ communication mechanism called Space-Time Memory, with automatic garbage collection, is particularly suited to the complex buffer management that arises in real-time analysis hierarchies based on video and audio input. In this paper, we describe an example of our target class of applications, and describe features of Stampede that support cluster-based implementations of such applications.

The human figure exhibits complex and rich dynamic behavior that is both nonlinear and time-varying. However most work on tracking and synthesizing figure motion has employed either simple, generic dynamic models or highly specific hand-tailored ones. Recently, a broad class of learning and inference algorithms for time-series models have been successfully cast in the framework of dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs). This paper describes a novel DBN-based switching linear dynamic system (SLDS) model and presents its application to figure motion analysis. A key feature of our approach is an approximate Viterbi inference technique for overcoming the intractability of exact inference in mixed-state DBNs. We present experimental results for learning figure dynamics from video data and show promising initial results for tracking, interpolation, synthesis, and classification using learned models.

There is an emerging class of real-time interactive applications that require the dynamic integration of task and data parallelism. An example is the Smart Kiosk, a free-standing computer device that provides information and entertainment to people in public spaces. The kiosk interface employs vision and speech sensing and uses an animated graphical talking face for output. Due to the interactive nature of the kiosk, the structure of its tasks and the available computational resources can vary with the number of customers and the state of the interaction. In particular, using experimental results from a color-based people tracking module, we demonstrate the existence of distinct operating regimes in the kiosk application. These regimes require dynamic trade-offs in data parallel strategy. We present a framework for the dynamic integration of task and data parallelism. Our solution has been implemented in the context of Stampede, a cluster programming system under development at the Cambridge Research Laboratory.

We propose a new approach for combining acoustic and visual measurements to aid in recognizing lip shapes of a person speaking. Our method relies on computing the maximum likelihoods of (a) HMM used to model phonemes from the acoustic signal, and (b) HMM used to model visual features motions from video. One significant addition in this work is the dynamic analysis with features selected by AdaBoost, on the basis of their discriminant ability. This form of integration, leading to boosted HMM, permits AdaBoost to find the best features first, and then uses HMM to exploit dynamic information inherent in the signal.

International audience; We propose a robust method to match image feature points taking into account geometric consistency. It is a careful adaptation of the match propagation principle to 4th-order geometric constraints (match quadruple consistency). With our method, a set of matches is explained by a network of locally-similar affinities. This approach is useful when simple descriptor-based matching strategies fail, in particular for highly ambiguous data, e.g., with repetitive patterns or where texture is lacking. As it scales easily to hundreds of thousands of matches, it is also useful when denser point distributions are sought, e.g., for high-precision rigid model estimation. Experiments show that our method is competitive (efficient, scalable, accurate, robust) against state-of-the-art methods in deformable object matching, camera calibration and pattern detection.

International audience; Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms take as input multi-view stereo images (along with internal calibration information) and yield a 3D point cloud and camera orientations/poses in a common 3D coordinate system. In the case of an incremental SfM pipeline, the process requires repeated model estimations based on detected feature points: homography, fundamental and essential matrices, as well as camera poses. These estimations have a crucial impact on the quality of 3D reconstruction. We propose to improve these estimations using the a contrario methodology. While SfM pipelines usually have globally-fixed thresholds for model estimation, the a contrario principle adapts thresholds to the input data and for each model estimation. Our experiments show that adaptive thresholds reach a significantly better precision. Additionally, the user is free from having to guess thresholds or to optimistically rely on default values. There are also cases where a globally-fixed threshold policy, whatever the threshold value is, cannot provide the best accuracy, contrary to an adaptive threshold policy.