Exploiting structural constraints for accurate image registration

Accurate registration has proved a difficult task especially when using non-high quality range images. In this paper we investigate and formalise structural relationships existing in the data for registration of free form shapes. We extend an existing ICP-based geometric algorithm by incorporating structural constraints leading to more accurate data correspondences. A number of experiments based on real range images demonstrate that the combination of rigid motion constraints with the novel structural constraint yields more accurate evaluation of possible correspondences preventing the algorithm from converging to local minima leading thus, to more accurate image registration.