Optic flow from unstable sequences through local velocity constancy maximization

Pauwels, Karl and Van Hulle, Marc M.

Image and Vision Computing, vol. 27(5), pp. 579–587, 2009

We introduce a novel video stabilization method that enables the extraction of optic flow from short unstable sequences. Contrary to traditional stabilization techniques that use approximative global motion models to estimate the full camera motion, our method estimates the unstable component of the camera motion only. This allows for the use of simpler global motion models, and at the same time extends the validity to more complex environments, such as close scenes that contain independently moving objects. The unstable component of the camera motion is derived from a maximization of the temporal local velocity constancy over the entire short sequence. The method, embedded within a phase-based optic flow algorithm, is tested on both synthetic and complex real-world sequences. The optic flow obtained using our technique is denser than that extracted directly from the original sequence, and from a sequence stabilized with a more traditional stabilization technique.