DMCA
Recognition-by-components: A theory of human image understanding (1987)
Cached
Download Links
| Venue: | Psychological Review |
| Citations: | 1267 - 23 self |
BibTeX
@ARTICLE{Biederman87recognition-by-components:a,
author = {Irving Biederman},
title = {Recognition-by-components: A theory of human image understanding},
journal = {Psychological Review},
year = {1987},
volume = {94},
pages = {115--147}
}
Share
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
OpenURL
Abstract
The perceptual recognition of objects is conceptualized to be a process in which the image of the input is segmented at regions of deep concavity into an arrangement of simple geometric components, such as blocks, cylinders, wedges, and cones. The fundamental assumption of the proposed theory, recognition-by-components (RBC), is that a modest set of generalized-cone components, called geons (N ^ 36), can be derived from contrasts of five readily detectable properties of edges in a two-dimensional image: curvature, collinearity, symmetry, parallelism, and cotermmation. The detection of these properties is generally invariant over viewing position and image quality and consequently allows robust object perception when the image is projected from a novel viewpoint or is degraded. RBC thus provides a principled account of the heretofore undecided relation between the classic principles of perceptual organization and pattern recognition: The constraints toward regularization (Pragnanz) characterize not the complete object but the object's components. Representational power derives from an allowance of free combinations of the geons. A Principle of Componential Recovery can account for the major phenomena of object recognition: If an arrangement of two or three geons can be recovered from the input, objects can be quickly recognized even when they are occluded, novel, rotated in depth, or extensively degraded. The results from experiments on the perception of briefly presented pictures by human observers provide empirical support for the theory. Any single object can project an infinity of image configura-tions to the retina. The orientation of the object to the viewer can vary continuously, each giving rise to a different two-dimen-sional projection. The object can be occluded by other objects or texture fields, as when viewed behind foliage. The object need not be presented as a full-colored textured image but in-stead can be a simplified line drawing. Moreover, the object can even be missing some of its parts or be a novel exemplar of its
Keyphrases
human image understanding human observer simplified line principled account classic principle complete object detectable property perceptual recognition single object novel viewpoint two-dimensional image texture field representational power derives robust object perception image configura-tions image quality novel exemplar componential recovery full-colored textured image modest set free combination simple geometric component heretofore undecided relation object recognition pattern recognition fundamental assumption major phenomenon different two-dimen-sional projection empirical support generalized-cone component perceptual organization deep concavity
