Accurate computation of optical flow by using layered motion representations

Abstract

This paper presents a framework combining two prevailing approaches to motion analysis: optical flows which describes motion at each point, and methods that define global motions for larger regions. Image motion is represented by layers-image regions whose coherent motion can be approximated by some parametric motion model. The motion at every point is obtained by the parametric motion estimate of the entire layer, corrected by a residual flow which captures the difference between the real image motion and the layer's motion model. The new approach is able to construct accurate flow fields in the presence of multiple motions, motion boundaries, and transparent motions.