Active Contour Model Using Wavelet Modulus for Object Segmentation and Tracking in Video Sequences

We propose an integrated wavelet-based framework of the active contour model(snake) for segmentation and motion tracking of deformable objects in video sequences. The input image frame is represented by means of wavelet transform. First, the moduli of wavelet transform coeecients are used in a multi-resolution motion estimation process to nd the initial snake contour in the current frame. The presented multi-resolution motion estimation methods allow a larger movement of the tracked object than does traditional image-based motion estimation. Secondly, the wavelet transform modulus at each scale is considered in the energy function of the snake model. The snake computation is based on a coarse-tone scale continuation method. Application of the proposed methods to biological cell tracking is demonstrated in experiments.