Computers mimic human perception of 3-D shapes

Two new techniques for computer-vision technology, heat mapping and heat distribution, have been developed by the researchers at Purdue University to mimic how humans perceive 3-D shapes. The techniques apply mathematical methods to enable machines to perceive 3-D objects by mimicking how humans perceive 3-D shapes and instantly recognizing objects no matter how they are twisted or bent. The heat mapping allowed the computer to recognize the objects and to ignore noise introduced by imperfect laser scanning and other erroneous data. The techniques offer many potential applications, including robot vision and navigation; 3-D medical imaging; military drones; and a 3-D search engine to find mechanical parts. Knowing the heat mean signature allows the computer to determine the center of each segment, to assign a weight to specific segments and to define the overall shape of the object.