Pseudopolar-based estimation of large translations, rotations, and scalings in images

• Published in: IEEE transactions on image processing Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 12 - 22
• Main Authors: Keller, Y., Averbuch, A., Israeli, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.01.2005; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Algorithms; Applied sciences; Artificial Intelligence; Computer Graphics; Discrete Fourier transforms; Exact sciences and technology; Fast Fourier transforms; Fourier transforms; Global motion estimation; Gradient methods; image alignment; Image Enhancement - methods; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Image processing; Image registration; Information Storage and Retrieval - methods; Information, signal and communications theory; Interpolation; Motion; Motion estimation; Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; Pattern Recognition, Automated - methods; Phase estimation; Reproducibility of Results; Robustness; Sensitivity and Specificity; Signal processing; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; subpixel registration; Subtraction Technique; Telecommunications and information theory; Video compression; Video Recording - methods; Image registration; Fourier transformation; Motion estimation; Image processing; Global motion estimation; image alignment; Algorithm; Gradient method; gradient methods; subpixel registration
• ISSN: 1057-7149; 1941-0042
• DOI: 10.1109/TIP.2004.838692

One of the major challenges related to image registration is the estimation of large motions without prior knowledge. This work presents a Fourier-based approach that estimates large translations, scalings, and rotations. The algorithm uses the pseudopolar (PP) Fourier transform to achieve substantial improved approximations of the polar and log-polar Fourier transforms of an image. Thus, rotations and scalings are reduced to translations which are estimated using phase correlation. By utilizing the PP grid, we increase the performance (accuracy, speed, and robustness) of the registration algorithms. Scales up to 4 and arbitrary rotation angles can be robustly recovered, compared to a maximum scaling of 2 recovered by state-of-the-art algorithms. The algorithm only utilizes one-dimensional fast Fourier transform computations whose overall complexity is significantly lower than prior works. Experimental results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed algorithms.