Utilization of the recursive shortest spanning tree algorithm for video-object segmentation by 2-D affine motion modeling

A novel video-object segmentation algorithm is proposed, which takes the previously estimated 2-D dense motion vector field as input and uses the generalized recursive shortest spanning tree method to approximate each component of the motion vector field as a piecewise planar function. The algorithm is successful in capturing 3-D planar objects in the scene correctly, with acceptable accuracy at the boundaries. The proposed algorithm is fast and requires no initial guess about the segmentation mask. Moreover, it is a hierarchical scheme which gives finest to coarsest segmentation results. The only external parameter needed by the algorithm is the number of segmented regions that essentially control the level at which the coarseness the algorithm would stop. The proposed algorithm improves the `analysis model' developed in the European COST211 framework.