As networks of video cameras are installed in many applications like security and surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and assisted living facilities, among others, image understanding in camera networks is becoming an important area of research and technology development. There are many challenges that need to be addressed in the process. Some of them are listed below: - Traditional computer vision challenges in tracking and recognition, robustness to pose, illumination, occlusion, clutter, recognition of objects, and activities; - Aggregating local information for wide area scene understanding, like obtaining stable, long-term tracks of objects; - Positioning of the cameras and dynamic control of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras for optimal sensing; - Distributed processing and scene analysis algorithms; - Resource constraints imposed by different applications like security and surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster response, assisted living facilities, etc. In this book, we focus on the basic research problems in camera networks, review the current state-of-the-art and present a detailed description of some of the recently developed methodologies. The major underlying theme in all the work presented is to take a network-centric view whereby the overall decisions are made at the network level. This is sometimes achieved by accumulating all the data at a central server, while at other times by exchanging decisions made by individual cameras based on their locally sensed data. Chapter One starts with an overview of the problems in camera networks and the major research directions. Some of the currently available experimental testbeds are also discussed here. One of the fundamental tasks in the analysis of dynamic scenes is to track objects. Since camera networks cover a large area, the systems need to be able to track over such wide areas where there could be both overlapping and non-overlapping fields of view of the cameras, as addressed in Chapter Two: Distributed processing is another challenge in camera networks and recent methods have shown how to do tracking, pose estimation and calibration in a distributed environment. Consensus algorithms that enable these tasks are described in Chapter Three. Chapter Four summarizes a few approaches on object and activity recognition in both distributed and centralized camera network environments. All these methods have focused primarily on the analysis side given that images are being obtained by the cameras. Efficient utilization of such networks often calls for active sensing, whereby the acquisition and analysis phases are closely linked. We discuss this issue in detail in Chapter Five and show how collaborative and opportunistic sensing in a camera network can be achieved. Finally, Chapter Six concludes the book by highlighting the major directions for future research. Table of Contents: An Introduction to Camera Networks / Wide-Area Tracking / Distributed Processing in Camera Networks / Object and Activity Recognition / Active Sensing / Future Research Directions

- The first book, by the leading experts, on this rapidly developing field with applications to security, smart homes, multimedia, and environmental monitoring - Comprehensive coverage of fundamentals, algorithms, design methodologies, system implementation issues, architectures, and applications - Presents in detail the latest developments in multi-camera calibration, active and heterogeneous camera networks, multi-camera object and event detection, tracking, coding, smart camera architecture and middleware This book is the definitive reference in multi-camera networks. It gives clear guidance on the conceptual and implementation issues involved in the design and operation of multi-camera networks, as well as presenting the state-of-the-art in hardware, algorithms and system development. The book is broad in scope, covering smart camera architectures, embedded processing, sensor fusion and middleware, calibration and topology, network-based detection and tracking, and applications in distributed and collaborative methods in camera networks. This book will be an ideal reference for university researchers, R&D engineers, computer engineers, and graduate students working in signal and video processing, computer vision, and sensor networks. Hamid Aghajan is a Professor of Electrical Engineering (consulting) at Stanford University. His research is on multi-camera networks for smart environments with application to smart homes, assisted living and well being, meeting rooms, and avatar-based communication and social interactions. He is Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments, and was general chair of ACM/IEEE ICDSC 2008. Andrea Cavallaro is Reader (Associate Professor) at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL). His research is on target tracking and audiovisual content analysis for advanced surveillance and multi-sensor systems. He serves as Associate Editor of the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine and the IEEE Trans. on Multimedia, and has been general chair of IEEE AVSS 2007, ACM/IEEE ICDSC 2009 and BMVC 2009. - The first book, by the leading experts, on this rapidly developing field with applications to security, smart homes, multimedia, and environmental monitoring - Comprehensive coverage of fundamentals, algorithms, design methodologies, system implementation issues, architectures, and applications - Presents in detail the latest developments in multi-camera calibration, active and heterogeneous camera networks, multi-camera object and event detection, tracking, coding, smart camera architecture and middleware

This publication addresses distributed embedded smart cameras –cameras that perform on board analysis and collaborate with other cameras. This book provides the material required to better understand the architectural design challenges of embedded smart camera systems, the hardware/software ecosystem, the design approach for and applications of distributed smart cameras together with the state-of-the-art algorithms. The authors concentrate on the architecture, hardware/software design, realization of smart camera networks from applications to architectures, in particular in the embedded and mobile domains.

Human Recognition in Unconstrained Environments provides a unique picture of the complete ‘in-the-wild’ biometric recognition processing chain; from data acquisition through to detection, segmentation, encoding, and matching reactions against security incidents. Coverage includes: Data hardware architecture fundamentals Background subtraction of humans in outdoor scenes Camera synchronization Biometric traits: Real-time detection and data segmentation Biometric traits: Feature encoding / matching Fusion at different levels Reaction against security incidents Ethical issues in non-cooperative biometric recognition in public spaces With this book readers will learn how to: Use computer vision, pattern recognition and machine learning methods for biometric recognition in real-world, real-time settings, especially those related to forensics and security Choose the most suited biometric traits and recognition methods for uncontrolled settings Evaluate the performance of a biometric system on real world data Presents a complete picture of the biometric recognition processing chain, ranging from data acquisition to the reaction procedures against security incidents Provides specific requirements and issues behind each typical phase of the development of a robust biometric recognition system Includes a contextualization of the ethical/privacy issues behind the development of a covert recognition system which can be used for forensics and security activities

This fourth volume, edited and authored by world leading experts, gives a review of the principles, methods and techniques of important and emerging research topics and technologies in Image, Video Processing and Analysis, Hardware, Audio, Acoustic and Speech Processing. With this reference source you will: - Quickly grasp a new area of research - Understand the underlying principles of a topic and its application - Ascertain how a topic relates to other areas and learn of the research issues yet to be resolved - Quick tutorial reviews of important and emerging topics of research in Image, Video Processing and Analysis, Hardware, Audio, Acoustic and Speech Processing - Presents core principles and shows their application - Reference content on core principles, technologies, algorithms and applications - Comprehensive references to journal articles and other literature on which to build further, more specific and detailed knowledge - Edited by leading people in the field who, through their reputation, have been able to commission experts to write on a particular topic

A beacon of creativity with boundless energy, Chase Jarvis is well known as a visionary photographer, director, and social artist. In The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You, Chase reimagines, examines, and redefines the intersection of art and popular culture through images shot with his iPhone. The pictures in the book, all taken with Chase’s iPhone, make up a visual notebook—a photographic journal—from the past year of his life. The book is full of visually-rich iPhone photos and peppered with inspiring anecdotes. Two megapixels at a time, these images have been gathered and bound into a book that represents a stake in the ground. With it, Chase underscores the idea that an image can come from any camera, even a mobile phone. As Chase writes, “Inherently, we all know that an image isn’t measured by its resolution, dynamic range, or anything technical. It’s measured by the simple—sometimes profound, other times absurd or humorous or whimsical—effect that it can have upon us. If you can see it, it can move you.” This book is geared to inspire everyone, regardless of their level of photography knowledge, that you can capture moments and share them with our friends, families, loved ones, or the world at the press of a button. Readers of The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You will also enjoy the iPhone application Chase Jarvis created in conjunction with this book, appropriately named Best Camera. Best Camera has a unique set of filters and effects that can be applied at the touch of a button. Stack them. Mix them. Remix them. Best Camera also allows you to share directly to a host of social marketing sites via www.thebestcamera.com, a new online community that allows you to contribution to a living, breathing gallery of the best iPhone photography from around the globe. Together, the book, app, and website, represent a first-of-its-kind ecosystem dedicated to encouraging creativity through picture taking with the camera that you already have. The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You—shoot!

This handbook offers a comprehensive overview of Camera Monitor Systems (CMS), ranging from the ISO 16505-based development aspects to practical realization concepts. It offers readers a wide-ranging discussion of the science and technology of CMS as well as the human-interface factors of such systems. In addition, it serves as a single reference source with contributions from leading international CMS professionals and academic researchers.In combination with the latest version of UN Regulation No. 46, the normative framework of ISO 16505 permits CMS to replace mandatory rearview mirrors in series production vehicles. The handbook includes scientific and technical background information to further readers’ understanding of both of these regulatory and normative texts.It is a key reference in the field of automotive CMS for system designers, members of standardization and regulation committees, engineers, students and researchers.