From Gestalt Theory to Image Analysis: A Probabilistic Approach [Hardcover]

This book introduces a new theory in Computer Vision yielding elementary techniques to analyze digital images. These techniques are a mathematical formalization of the Gestalt theory. From the mathematical viewpoint the closest field to it is stochastic geometry, involving basic probability and statistics, in the context of image analysis. The book is mathematically self-contained, needing only basic understanding of probability and calculus. The text includes more than 130 illustrations, and numerous examples based on specific images on which the theory is tested. Detailed exercises at the end of each chapter help the reader develop a firm understanding of the concepts imparted.

This book introduces a new theory in Computer Vision yielding elementary techniques to analyze digital images. These techniques are a mathematical formalization of the Gestalt theory. The text includes numerous illustrations, and chapter-end exercises, to reinforce understanding.

Gestalt Theory.- The Helmholtz Principle.- Estimating the Binomial Tail.- Alignments in Digital Images.- Maximal Meaningfulness and the Exclusion Principle.- Modes of a Histogram.- Vanishing Points.- Contrasted Boundaries.- Variational or Meaningful Boundaries?.- Clusters.- Binocular Grouping.- A Psychophysical Study of the Helmholtz Principle.- Back to the Gestalt Programme.- Other Theories, Discussion.

From the reviews:

This book tells the story of how to construct objects form images, in a way closely related to human perception. ... contains many illustrations and images that are analyzed, from various fields of applied science. ... References in the end, however, are helpful for further reading. ... To summarize, the book is a fine and timely introduction to a fascinating field of science. I can certainly recommend its reading to anyone dealing in a probabilistic sense with images ... . (A. Stein, Kwantitatieve Methoden, Issue R09, 2008)

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