Segmentation of deformable templates with level sets characterized by particle systems

A method for the segmentation of deformable structures using a formulation of level-sets with particles system is presented. This results in an original energetic formulation, and leads to a fast and robust method for computing the segmentation. Initialization is performed with the help of skeleton techniques, providing a stable and coherent initialization. It is possible to add or delete particles during the minimization process, and the use of particles systems makes it possible to contemplate hierarchical representations. The global shape is then represented by few control points, and more precision is obtained by locally adding new particles.