A review of image-warping methods

Image warping is a transformation which maps all positions in one image plane to positions in a second plane. It arises in many image analysis problems, whether in order to remove optical distortions introduced by a camera or a particular viewing perspective, to register an image with a map or template, or to align two or more images. The choice of warp is a compromise between a smooth distortion and one which achieves a good match. Smoothness can be ensured by assuming a parametric form for the warp or by constraining it using diŒerential equations. Matching can be speci® ed by points to be brought into alignment, by local measures of correlation between images, or by the coincidence of edges. Parametric and non-parametric approaches to warping, and matching criteria, are reviewed.