Foveated observation of shape and motion

Robotic navigation and interaction frequently require that the shape and motion of external objects and events be observed. Many interesting events occur at mixed scales. Subtle localized shape and motion often occurs together with long range movements. One of the chief challenges in recovering these events is to obtain high resolution imagery suitable for resolving small details, while simultaneously increasing the working volume in which recovery is possible. This paper proposes an architecture for mixed scale motion recovery. Robust coverage of a large working volume is provided by a wide area tracking system. This system localizes interesting motions, and guides a separate foveated system of pantilt cameras to observe the detailed event at high resolution. We demonstrate two applications, foveated structured light scanning and the capture of muscle deformation while walking. Both applications allow subtle detailed recovery that would not be possible using existing single scale systems.