Log-polar mapping template design: From task-level requirements to geometry parameters

The best parameters defining the geometry of a visual sensor generally depend on the particular visual task the sensor is intended to be used in. However, translating task requirements directly into low-level geometric parameters may be difficult, since deep knowledge of the sensor design is usually required, but end users of a sensor need not necessarily be its designers. A framework is suggested to facilitate this translation by including an intermediate layer, the design criteria, between task requirements and sensor parameters. The proposed framework is illustrated with a log-polar space-variant vision model. The motivation behind using this particular sensor is the observation that, in the literature, little attention has been paid to the proper choice of the sensor parameters, or the lack of justification of the chosen configuration. Sets of general-purpose design criteria and task specifications are provided and discussed. The process of finding the best geometric parameters for a given set of (many and/or mutually conflicting) design criteria is automated with a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Some examples are given demonstrating the feasibility and potential of the approach.