Target Object Tracking in Image Sequences Based on 3-D Multivalued Watershed Algorithm

Abstract

This paper extends the multivalued watershed algorithm, which has been proposed as a technique to segment, still pictures, into a 3-dimensional algorithm and applies it to the problem of tracking a target in image sequences. The proposed tracking technique first generates a 3-dimensional representation of target frames by arranging them temporally, and then applies the 3-dimensional multivalued watershed algorithm to the representation, with the target object segmented manually on a single selected frame. Further mechanisms, such as global motion compensation, are introduced to improve tracking precision. Experimental results presented later in this paper reveal that the proposed technique can accurately keep tracking target objects. Comparisons with conventional frame-by-frame tracking algorithms also illustrate the superiority of this approach.