Edward Muybridge (1830-1904) is known as the pioneer in motion capt- ing
with his famous experiments in 1887 called "Animal Locomotion". Since
then, the ?eld of animal or human motion analysis has grown in many dir-
tions. However, research and results that involve human-like animation
and the recovery of motion is still far from being satisfactory. The
modelling, tracking, and understanding of human motion based on video
sequences as a research ?eld has increased in importance particularly in
thelastdecadewiththeemergenceofapplicationsinsportssciences, medicine,
biomechanics, animation (online games), surveillance, and security.
Progress in human motion analysis depends on empirically anchored and
grounded research in computer vision, computer graphics, and
biomechanics. Though these ?elds of research are often treated
separately, human motion analysis requires the integration of
methodologies from computer vision and computer graphics.Furthermore,
theunderstandinganduseofbiomechanicsconstraints improves the robustness
of such an approach. This book is based on a June 2006 workshop held in
Dagstuhl, Germany. This workshop brought together for the ?rst time
researchers from the afo- mentioned disciplines. Based on their diverse
perspectives, these researchers
havebeendevelopingnewmethodologiesandcontributing, throughtheir?- ings,
to the domain of human motion analysis. The interdisciplinary character
of the workshop allowed people to present a wide range of approaches
that helped stimulate intellectual discussions and the exchange of new
ideas.
