Interacting segmentation and tracking of overlapping objects from an image sequence

We present a new adaptive technique for segmenting a sequence of images and tracking the moving objects contained therein. The algorithm is illustrated on the tracking of a group of fibroblast (tissue) cells whose motion is induced by an external electric field, using phase contrast micrographs. Due to their proximity to one another and their motion characteristics, in addition to the nature of the images, the objects cannot be segmented accurately. Interaction between the data association and tracking algorithm is the main feature of the novel approach to combined segmentation and tracking, which have been treated separately in the literature. Segmentation and estimation results demonstrate the advantages of the proposed scheme, namely, superior object identification, accurate region-to-track association and precise motion estimation.