Real-time head motion detection system

We present a three-dimensional head motion detection system called a realtime headreader. This headreader analyzes the head motion picture sequences taken by a TV-camera, and extracts the motion parameters in realtime, i.e. 3-d rotations and translations. We used a simple but very fast algorithm, which exploits the contrast of hair and face to recognize face orientation. The system extracts the head and face area, then estimates the head motion parameters from the change in position of each area's centroids. The head motion is computed at nearly 10 frames per second on a SUN4 workstation and the motion parameters are sent to an IRIS workstation at a 2.5 Kbps. The IRIS generates a head motion sequence that duplicates the original head motion. The entire motion detection program is written in C language. No special image processing hardware is used, except for a video digitizer. Our head motion detection system will enhance man-machine interactions by providing a new visual eue. An operator will be able to point to a target by just looking at it thus a mouse or 3-d tracking device is not needed. The eventual goal of this research is to build an intelligent video communication system that codes the information in terms of high level language rather than compressed video signals.