Digital image correlation in experimental mechanics and image registration in computer vision: Similarities, differences and complements

• Digital image correlation and image registration or matching are reviewed.
• Their similarities and differences are identified through technical comparison.
• Their complements are described to enhance the performance in a few aspects.
• Experimental support is presented.

Digital image correlation and image registration or matching are among the most widely used techniques in the fields of experimental mechanics and computer vision, respectively. Despite their applications in separate fields, both techniques primarily involve detecting the same physical points in two or more images. In this paper, a brief technical comparison of the two techniques is reviewed, and their similarities and differences as well as complements are presented. It is shown that some concepts from the image registration or matching technique can be applied to the digital image correlation technique to substantially enhance its performance, which can help broaden the applications of digital image correlation in scientific research and engineering practice.