Edge chain analysis for object verification

A technique for verifying an object hypothesis by comparing hypothesized edge patterns to detected edge patterns is presented. Positive evidence for a hypothesis is identified as those portions of the model edges that are found in the image, either as geometrical features (such as straight lines or circular arcs} or as linked edges of arbitrary shape. Occluded portions of a model edge are detected by analyzing junctions of image and model edge chains. Negative evidence is identified as those portions of the model edges that are not found and are not occluded. We describe the types of junctions that can occur between image and model edges and discuss a technique for identifying occluded regions based on these junctions. Preliminary results of these techniques are also presented.