Fast Segmentation of Range Images

A new type of range image segmentation method is introduced. The image segmentation is based on a recursive adaptive regression model prediction for detecting range image step discontinuities which are present at object face borders. Border pixels are detected in two perpendicular directions and detection results are combined together. Two predictors in each direction use identical contextual information from the pixel's neighbourhood and they mutually compete for the most optimal discontinuity detection. The method suggested can be successfully applied also to other image segmentation applications, e.g. panchromatic or multispectral image data, etc.