This book addresses an area of perception engineering which deals with
constructive processes. A model of the environment is analyzed using the
information acquired from mUltiple viewpoints of multiple disparate
sensors at multiple time instants. Although the role of successive model
building and active exploration of the environment, as is discussed in
this book, is of great importance, only a few researchers of machine
perception have thus far addressed the problem in these directions.
Krotkov's book, which is a modification and continuation of his highly
successful dissertation, focuses on active exploratory sensing in the
context of spatial layout perception. He uses stereo and focus to obtain
distance By information, and to eventually develop cooperative combining
techniques. means of a stereo system with verging cameras, it is
demonstrated that the distance measurements can be significantly
improved by combining two sources. In addition, the problem of merging
information from the multiple views is discussed in detail. As the field
of perception engineering seems to be of growing scientific and applied
importance, both practitioners and researchers in machine perception
will find this book a valuable addition to their libraries. RameshJain
Series Editor Acknowledgements I would like to thank Professor Ruzena
Bajcsy for her constant encouragement and guidance during the five years
of research leading to the dissertation upon which this book is based.
Without her help in all matters, this work would never have been
possible.