Real-time periodic motion detection, analysis, and applications

We describe a new technique to detect and analyze periodic motion as seen from both a static and moving camera. By tracking objects of interest, we compute an object's self-similarity as it evolves in time. For periodic motion, the self-similarity measure is also periodic, and we apply time-frequency analysis to detect and characterize the periodic motion. A real-time system has been implemented to track and classify objects using periodicity. Examples of object classification, person counting, and non-stationary periodicity are provided.