Three-dimensional shape recovery across two views using approximate geometric constraints

We propose a new approach to object matching and shape reconstruction across two views. The approach relies on the topological relationship among the feature points and a planarity approximation for the object surfaces in carrying the object from the model view to the scene view. The correspondences are then refined by fitting an active contour model to the transferred feature points on the scene view, which automatically assumes the shape of the object on correct matching. For the purpose of 3-D reconstruction, it could be shown that while the establishment of such correct correspondences alone would result in ambiguities under the assumption of weak perspective projection, the adoption of a regularization criterion, in the form of a depth-continuity constraint, and a set of geometric constraints associated with selected subset of surfaces and contours of the object, would overcome this problem and lead to the recovery of the approximate 3-D structure of the object. (C) 2003 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.