The Alignment of Objects with Smooth Surfaces

Abstract

This paper examines the recognition of rigid objects bounded by smooth surfaces using an alignment approach. The projected image of such an object changes during rotation in a manner that is difficult to predict. A method to approach this problem is suggested, using the 3D surface curvature at the points along the silhouette. The curvature information requires a single number for each point along the object's silhouette, the magnitude of the curvature vector at the point. We have implemented and tested this method on images of complex 3D objects; it was found to give accurate predictions of the objects' appearances for large transformations. A small number of models can be used to predict the new appearance of an object from any viewpoint.