Depth-based segmentation

The tool presented in this paper performs an automatic segmentation of stereoscopic image sequences, based on the modeling of distance maps obtained by image processing. Two three-dimensional (3-D) image analysis algorithms are combined: i) estimation of dense depth maps from stereoscopic image sequences and ii) depth-based object segmentation. A Markovian statistical approach for such a segmentation of a dense depth map into arbitrarily shaped and oriented planar surfaces is described in detail. The simulation results on sequences ''Fun fair'' and ''Tunnel,'' provided on video tape to the MPEG-4 tests of November 1995, are discussed.