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A mathematical analysis of the motion coherence theory

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Abstract

In motion perception, there are a number of important phenomena involving coherence. Examples include motion capture and motion cooperativity. We propose a theoretical model, called the motion coherence theory, that gives a possible explanation for these effects [1,2]. In this framework, the aperture problem can also be thought of as a problem of coherence and given a similar explanation. We propose the concept of a velocity field defined everywhere in the image, even where there is no explicit motion information available. Theough a cost function, the model imposes smoothness on the velocity field in a more general way than in previous theories. In this paper, we provide a detailed theoretical analysis of the motion coherence theory. We discuss its relations with previous theories and show that some of them are approximations to it. A second paper [3] provides extensions for temporal coherence and comparisons to psychophysical phenomena. The theory applies to both short-range and long-range motion. It places them in the same computational framework and provides a way to define interactions between the two processes.

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  1. Harvard University Division of Applied Sciences, G12e Pierce Hall, 02138, Cambridge, MA

    Alan L. Yuille & Norberto M. Grzywacz

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  1. Alan L. Yuille
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  2. Norberto M. Grzywacz
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Yuille, A.L., Grzywacz, N.M. A mathematical analysis of the motion coherence theory. Int J Comput Vision 3, 155–175 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00126430

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