Disparity contour grouping for multi-object segmentation in dynamically textured scenes

A fast multi-object segmentation algorithm based on disparity contour grouping is described. It segments multiple objects at a wide range of depths from backgrounds of known geometry in a manner insensitive to changing lighting and the dynamic texture of, for example, display surfaces. Not relying on stereo reconstruction or prior knowledge of foreground objects, it is fast enough on commodity hardware for some real-time applications. Experimental results demonstrate its ability to extract object contour from a complex scene and distinguish multiple objects even when they are close together or partially occluded.