Japanese
Department of Computer Software

Multimedia Systems Laboratory

Noriaki AsadaWilliam L. MartensJung-pil ShinHirohide Demura
Noriaki Asada
Professor
William L. Martens
Associate Professor
Jung-pil Shin
Assistant Professor
Hirohide Demura
Assistant Professor
Recognition, analysis and expression of images and sounds are studied in the multimedia systems laboratory.
  The3-D motion and the 3-D shapes of the object are analyzed, understood and expressed by computer from the images taken by multi TV camera or video camera in the study of computer vision and/or the 3-D stereo vision. Detailed movies can be seen from any angle through the 3-D video system, which is expected to be applied to many fields such as the sports coaching and the recognition of the human facial expression.
  In the remote sensing, the category classification technique can analyze the land usages from color information of land images. Two laboratory members are engaged in the SELENE project, the Japanese lunar explorer mission, to analyze the lunar mineral composition and to investigate the future moon surface land usage.
  Furthermore, we are engaged also in space exploration programs in Japan including planetary and an asteroid exploration inquiry plan. Especially, in the asteroid probe program "Hayabusa" launched in 2003 which will reach to an asteroid "Itokawa" in 2005, we are responsible for the determination of the landing point on the asteroid surface and for guide to land on the asteroid by the use of the 3-dimensional recognition technology about its shape, elevation and roughness by the computer vision.
  In the on-line handwriting character recognition system, the fundamental study to use the handwriting letter as the input system of the computer is investigated. The character recognition is one of the most important fields on the image processing.
  Just as 3D graphic rendering can produce realistic views of virtual spaces, so can3D audio rendering produce realistic sounds for objects and events in those virtual spaces, called "Virtual Acoustic Space". State-of-the-art 3D audio rendering is based upon acoustical measurements. Laboratory members have participated actively in scientific meetings, both in Japan and abroad. They have presented and participated in seminars, and in presentation of scientific results in fully refereed publications.

Refereed Journal Papers

[asada-01:2003]N. Asada and M. Ogura. 3D Interpolation Method for CT Images of the Lung. Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, 1(3):1690-4524, 2003.

A 3-D image can be reconstructed from numerous CT images of the lung. The procedure reconstructs a solid from multiple cross section images, which are collected during pulsation of the heart. Thus the motion of the heart is a special factor that must be taken into consideration during reconstruction.

Refereed Proceeding Papers

[asada-02:2003]N. Asada. Improving Image Data Processing. In N. E. Mastorakis, editor, Proceedings of the 3rd WSEAS International Conferences on Signal Processing, Computational Geometry and Artificial Vision (ISCGAV '03), pages 458-204, Athens, November 2003. WSEAS, WSEAS press.

In the case of computer vision or image data processing, information about the performance of a camera and photography conditions or a limitation of data analysis is very important, although they tend to be given little attention.
[jpshin-01:2003]Jungpil Shin. EAEcient Dictionary Compression for On-line Character Recognition. In Editor M. Arif Wani, editor, Proceedings of the 2003 International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA'03), pages 135-141, Los Angeles, USA, June 2003. Association for Machine Learning and Application, Association for Machine Learning and Application.

In this paper, the eAEcient compression and quality improvement methods for a reference character dictionary are investigated for the stroke order and number free on-line Chinese handwriting character recognition.The Generalized Learning Vector Quantization algorithm and K-means Clustering algorithm are used for making a smaller dictionary based on stroke elements, not on character elements. A suitable compression rate is investigated, because a trade-off exists between the recognition rate and recognition time/compression rate. Experimental results for Chinese character recognition show that the dictionary can be successfully compressed without decreasing the recognition rate, and the calculation time of distance between strokes can be considerably reduced.

Unrefereed Papers

[asada-03:2003]N. Asada, K. Horiuchi, and Watanabe,H. Progressive Improvement of Multi-band Image Analysis. In Editor C. Kaito, editor, Grain Formation Workshop 2002, volume 22, pages 11-19, Jan. 2002.

A progressive method is proposed for category classification and composition analysis using multi-band remote sensing images. When the spatial resolution or the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is different for each band image, a simple treatment might cause an incorrect result. In such cases, there are two kinds of analyses in conventional processing methods: one is to adjust the poorly resolved image and the other is to use only good images and abandon valuable data of images with poor resolution.

[demura-01:2003]H. Demura, S. Kobayashi, Y. Murai, K. Nishiyama, T. Hashimoto, and J. Saito. Preliminary Shape Modeling for the asteroid (25143) Itokawa, AMICA of Hayabusa mission. In 35th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. LPI/NASA, Mar. 2004.

Books

[asada-04:2003]Noriaki Asada. 3DRecords of the Aizu Lacquer Ware Craftsmen's Manufacturing Processes. Research Report to AY 2002 Research Grant of Naito Taisyun Science and Technology Foundation (in Japanese). The University of Aizu, April 2003.

Chapters in Book

[asada-05:2003]V. V. Kluev and Editor N. E. Mastorakis, editors. Improving Image Data Processing, volume 2 ofWSEASTransaction on Computers, pages 1055-1060. WSES Press, Athens, 2003.
[demura-02:2003]H.Demura. Utilization of Earth Observation Data (1), volume 4 of Resources Environment Remote Sensing Applications Series, chapter 4. Planets (in Japanese). ERSDAC (Earth Remote Sensing Data Analysis Center), Mar. 2004.
[jpshin-02:2003]JungpilShin. A Study of the Compression Method for aReference Character Dictionary used for On-line Character Recognition, pages 300-309. Number 5 in Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference onKnowledge-Based Intelligent Information). Springer-Verlag, Oxford, UK, 2003.

Grants

[asada-06:2003]Noriaki Asada. AY 2001 Interchange and Cooperation Project among Prefectural Universities in Tohoku region (Ministry of Land, Infrastracture and Transport), 2001-2002.
[asada-07:2003]Noriaki Asada. Research Grant of Naito Taisyun Science and Technology Foundation, 2002-2003.
[demura-03:2003]H. Demura. Ministry of Education Scientific Research Fund, 2003-2005.
[demura-04:2003]H. Demura and N. Asada. 2003 Research/Educational Project supported by Fukushima Prefectural Foundation for Advancement of Science and Education, 2003.
[jpshin-03:2003]Jungpil Shin. Research Funds for Internatianal Conference from The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation, 2003, June.

Academic Activities

[asada-08:2003]N. Asada, July 2002.

Theme Chair, IIIS SCI 2002.

[jpshin-04:2003]Jungpil Shin, June 2003.

Member of the Program Committee, International ConferenceonMachineLearning and Applications (ICMLA'03)

Ph.D and Other Theses

[jpshin-05:2003] Atsushi Takeda. Graduation Thesis: The Realization of a Scratched-look Expression Focused on the Viscosity of the Ink, University of Aizu, 2003.

Thesis Advisor: Jungpil Shin

[jpshin-06:2003]YutakaTorii. Graduation Thesis: Improvement of On-line Handwriting Character Recognition and Reduction of Dictionary Space by Using Cuneiform Model, University of Aizu, 2003.

Thesis Advisor: Jungpil Shin

[jpshin-07:2003]Teruo Haraki. Graduation Thesis: Recognition of Rotated Stroke Order Free Handwritten Kanji Characters Using Inter Stroke Information and Genetic Algorithms, University of Aizu, 2003.

Thesis Advisor: Jungpil Shin

[jpshin-08:2003]Seiichiro Matsuya. Graduation Thesis: On-Line Signature Verification Using Inter-Stroke Information, University of Aizu, 2003.

Thesis Advisor: Jungpil Shin

Others

[demura-05:2003]H. Demura.

Invited Lecture 'Transition of Martian paleo-environment, what is identified through topographical features': July 19, 2003 at The National Science Museum; hosted by Astro-classroom fot high school students of the world (http://www.astro-hs.net/2003/ja/event/chiku event kanto report.html)
[demura-06:2003]H. Demura.

Invited Lecture 'Are there any oceans and rivers on the past Mars?': September 20, 2003 at Katsushika City Museum; hosted by the museum (http://www.city.katsushika.tokyo.jp/museum/e15-marskouen-j.html)
[demura-07:2003]H. Demura.

Invited Lecture 'Meanings of Martian aeolian features and morphology': December 4-5, 2003 at Yukawa Inst. for Theoretical Physics, Univ. of Kyoto; hosted by Computational and Theoretical Morphodynamics Group (http://www.ms.osakafu-u.ac.jp/ gutchi/geomor/geomor3.html)