Model-based image processing for characterizing pigs in scenes

This paper reports on the development of a model-based technique to locate pigs in fairly unstructured scenes. Model-based image processing is potentially a very powerful technique for identifying and classifying images. It is particularly relevant for biological objects such as animals which are difficult to define in numerical terms. Here the model is based on an image of a typical pig viewed from above . The model can then be rotated translated scaled and bent laterally to find a good match within an image of another pig. The output of the model helps to segment and classify the pig and the information can be used to guide further localized image processing. The development of the model and methods of fitting it to the image are described and results on a sample image are presented. 1.