Object recognition using neural networks and surface signatures

We present a concept for 3D free-form object recognition using a surface representation scheme. This representation scheme captures the 3D curvature information of any free-form surface and encodes it into a 2D image corresponding to a certain point on the surface. This image is unique for this point and is independent from the object translation or orientation in space. For this reason we called this image the surface point signature (SPS). Using specially designed neural networks; the SPS images are used in the matching and recognition of 3D objects in a 3D scanned scene