Large-scale video networks are of increasing importance in a wide range of applications. However, the development of automated techniques for aggregating and interpreting information from multiple video streams in real-life scenarios is a challenging area of research.

Collecting the work of leading researchers from a broad range of disciplines, this timely text/reference offers an in-depth survey of the state of the art in distributed camera networks. The book addresses a broad spectrum of critical issues in this highly interdisciplinary field: current challenges and future directions; video processing and video understanding; simulation, graphics, cognition and video networks; wireless video sensor networks, communications and control; embedded cameras and real-time video analysis; applications of distributed video networks; and educational opportunities and curriculum-development.

Topics and features: presents an overview of research in areas of motion analysis, invariants, multiple cameras for detection, object tracking and recognition, and activities in video networks; provides real-world applications of distributed video networks, including force protection, wide area activities, port security, and recognition in night-time environments; describes the challenges in graphics and simulation, covering virtual vision, network security, human activities, cognitive architecture, and displays; examines issues of multimedia networks, registration, control of cameras (in simulations and real networks), localization and bounds on tracking; discusses system aspects of video networks, with chapters on providing testbed environments, data collection on activities, new integrated sensors for airborne sensors, face recognition, and building sentient spaces; investigates educational opportunities and curriculum development from the perspective of computer science and electrical engineering.

This unique text will be of great interest to researchers and graduate students of computer vision and pattern recognition, computer graphics and simulation, image processing and embedded systems, and communications, networks and controls. The large number of example applications will also appeal to application engineers.

Introduction

Part I: Distributed Video Sensor Networks and Research Challenges

Report on NSF/ARO/ONR Workshop on Distributed Camera Networks
Bir Bhanu and Amit Roy Chowdhury

Part II: Video Processing and Understanding

Motion Analysis
J. K. Aggarwal

Projective Joint Invariants for Matching Curves in Camera Networks
Raman Arora and Charles R. Dyer

Multiple-view Object Recognition in Smart Camera Networks
Allen Y. Yang, Subhransu Maji, C. Mario Christoudias, Trevor Darrell, Jitendra Malik and S. Shankar Sastry

A Comparison of Techniques for Camera Selection and Handoff in a Video Network
Yiming Li and Bir Bhanu

Tracking of Multiple Objects Over Camera Networks with Overlapping and Nonoverlapping Views
Jenq-Neng Hwang and Victor Gau

Toward Robust Online Visual Tracking
Ming-Hsuan Yang and Jeffrey Ho

Modeling Patterns of Activity and Detecting Abnormal Events with Low-level Co-occurrences
Yannick Benezeth, Pierre-Marc Jodoin and Venkatesh Saligrama

Use of Context in Video Processing
Chen Wu and Hamid Aghajan

Part III: Simulation, Graphics, Cognition and Video Networks

Virtual Vision
Demetri Terzopoulos and Faisal Z. Qureshi

Virtualization and Programming Support for Video Sensor Networks with Application to Wireless and Physical Security
Azer Bestavros and Michael J. Ocean

Simulating Human Activities for Synthetic Inputs to Sensor Systems
Jan M. Allbeck and Norman I. Badler

Cognitive Sensor Networks
Thomas C. Henderson

Ubiquitous Displays
Aditi Majumder

Part IV: Wireless Video Sensor Networks, Communications and Control

Research Challenges for Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks
Tommaso Melodia and Ian F. Akyildiz

Camera Control and Georegistration for Video Sensor Networks
James W. Davis

Persistent Observation of Dynamic Scenes in an Active Camera Network
Bi Song, Chong Ding, Amit Roy-Chowdhury and Jay Farrell

Proactive PTZ Camera Control
Faisal Z. Qureshi and Demetri Terzopoulos

Distributed Consensus Algorithms for Image-based Localization in Camera Sensor Networks
Roberto Tron, Andreas Terzis and Rene Vidal

Conditional Posterior Cramér-rao Lower Bound and its Applications in Adaptive Sensor Management
Ruixin Niu, Long Zuo, Engin Masazade and Pramod K. Varshney

Part V: Distributed Embedded Cameras and Real-Time Video Analysis

VideoWeb
Hoang Thanh Nguyen and Bir Bhanu

VideoWeb Dataset for Multicamera Activities and Nonverbal Communication
Giovanni Denina, Bir Bhanu, Hoang Thanh Nguyen, Chong Ding, Ahmed Kamal, Chinya Ravishankar, Amit Roy-Chowdhury, Allen Ivers and Brenda Varda

Wide-Area Persistent Airborne Video
Kannappan Palaniappan, Raghuveer M. Rao and Guna Seetharaman

Collaborative Face Recognition Using a Network of Embedded Cameras
Vinod Kulathumani, Srikanth Parupati, Arun Ross and Raghavender Jillela

SATWARE
Daniel Massaguer, Sharad Mehrotra, Ronen Vaisenberg and Nalini Venkatasubramanian

Part VI: Distributed Video Networks - Applications

Video Analytics For Force Protection
Peter H. Tu, Glen W. Brooksby, Gianfranco Doretto, Donald W. Hamilton, Nils Krahnstoever, J. Brandon Laflen, Xiaoming Liu, Kedar A. Patwardhan, Thomas Sebastian, Yan Tong, Jilin Tu, Frederick W. Wheeler, Christopher M. Wynnyk, Yi Yao and Ting Yu

Recognizing Activity Structures in Massive Numbers of Simple Events Over Large Areas Raymond D. Rimey

Distributed Sensor Networks for Visual Surveillance
Zeeshan Rasheed, Khurram Shafique, Li Yu, Munwai Lee, Krishnan Ramnath, TeaEun Choe, Omar Javed and Niels Haering

Ascertaining Human Identity in Night Environments
T. Bourlai, N. Kalka, D. Cao, B. Decann, Z. Jafri, F. Nicolo, C. Whitelam, J. Zuo, D. Adjeroh, B. Cukic, J. Dawson, L. Hornak, A. Ross and N.A. Schmid

Part VII: Educational Opportunities and Curriculum Development

Educational Opportunities in Video Sensor Networks
Thomas C. Henderson

Large-scale video networks are of increasing importance in a wide range of applications. However, the development of automated techniques for aggregating and interpreting information from multiple video streams in real-life scenarios is a challenging area of research.

Collecting the work of leading researchers from a broad range of disciplines, this timely text/reference offers an in-depth survey of the state of the art in distributed camera networks. The book addresses a broad spectrum of critical issues in this highly interdisciplinary field: current challenges and future directions; video processing and video understanding; simulation, graphics, cognition and video networks; wireless video sensor networks, communications and control; embedded cameras and real-time video analysis; applications of distributed video networks; and educational opportunities and curriculum-development.

Topics and features:

• Presents an overview of research in areas of motion analysis, invariants, multiple cameras for detection, object tracking and recognition, and activities in video networks
• Provides real-world applications of distributed video networks, including force protection, wide area activities, port security, and recognition in night-time environments
• Describes the challenges in graphics and simulation, covering virtual vision, network security, human activities, cognitive architecture, and displays
• Examines issues of multimedia networks, registration, control of cameras (in simulations and real networks), localization and bounds on tracking
• Discusses system aspects of video networks, with chapters on providing testbed environments, data collection on activities, new integrated sensors for airborne sensors, face recognition, and building sentient spaces
• Investigates educational opportunities and curriculum development from the perspective of computer science and electrical engineering

This unique text will be of great interest to researchers and graduate students of computer vision and pattern recognition, computer graphics and simulation, image processing and embedded systems, and communications, networks and controls. The large number of example applications will also appeal to application engineers.