Thermophysical Algebraic Invariants from Infrared Imagery for Object Recognition

An important issue in developing a model-based vision system is the speciication of features that are-(a) invariant to viewing and scene conditions, and also-(b) speciic, i.e., the feature must have diierent values for diierent classes of objects. We formulate a new approach for establishing invariant features. Our approach is unique in the eld since it considers not just surface reeection and surface geometry in the speciication of invariant features, but it also takes into account internal object composition and state which aaect images sensed in the non-visible spectrum. A new type of invariance called Thermophysical Invariance is deened. Features are deened such that they are functions of only the thermophysical properties of the imaged objects. The approach is based on a physics-based model that is derived from the principle of the conservation of energy applied at the surface of the imaged object.