The dynamic retina: Contrast and motion detection for active vision

Abstract

This paper presents an efficient, biologically-inspired early vision architecture, the dynamic retina, that is well-suited to highly active and responsive vision platforms. The dynamic retina exploits normally undesirable camera motion as a necessary step in detecting image contrast, by using dynamic receptive fields instead of traditional spatial-neighborhood operators. We analyze the continuous miniature “noise” movements made by active imaging systems, and show that they can be exploited to detect contrast. We then develop an appropriate photoreceptor response function, based on light-adaptation models for vertebrate receptors. Together, the movements and response function over time compute image contrast. The dynamic retina is also useful for motion analysis, since moving objects processed by the system leave a clear signature from which motion parameters can be extracted. Results from a number of experiments with real video sequences demonstrate the effectiveness of the system for both contrast detection and motion analysis.