A theory of spatio-temporal aggregation for vision

摘要

A theory of spatio-temporal aggregation is proposed as an explanation for the visual process of grouping together elements in an image sequence whose motions and positions have consistent interpretations as the retinal projections of a coherent or isolated cluster of ‘particles’ in the physical world. Assumptions of confluence and adjacency are made in order to constrain the infinity of possible interpretations to a computationally more manageable domain of plausible interpretations. Confluence and adjacency lead to the derivation of specific rules for grouping which permit the appropriate aggregation of rigid and quasi-rigid objects in motion and at rest under a variety of conditions. The theory is reconciled with existing computational theories of vision so as to complement them, and to provide a useful link in the continual abstraction of visual information.