The rapid development of computer hardware accompanied by advances in algorithmic processing of sensor data makes applications involving special hardware and software solutions feasible for a broad spectrum of consumers. Recent advances in sensor data processing combined with appropriate filtering techniques allow replacement of conventional expensive systems by low-cost components that compensate for the reduced accuracy and sensitivity of the sensors with algorithmic solutions. The advantage is that the costs are spent once on the actual design and allow a cheap reproduction of the systems.

On the other hand, most computer vision applications are based on basic image processing algorithms with known optimized implementations that, typically, get re-implemented for each new application from scratch. The successful integration of computer vision in educational programs and a broad application of computer vision in multiple domains of our daily lives requires standardized software toolkits that provide this basic framework.  A set of software packages exists in the open source community that provides such functionality for rapid prototyping with tools like MATLAB or that implement a framework for real-time Applications in C/C++. One goal of this Technical Committee (TC6) is to collect the information about such tools in one place and construct a database containing references to such tools. We plan to promote an exchange between groups providing such open source resources.

IAPR's Technical Committee 6 (TC6) on Special Hardware and  Software Environments promotes interaction between groups providing software solutions to the research community. This promotion is manifested in editorials of special issues about tools that are available for research applications and collection of available information in one central place. The web-site of the IAPR-TC6 is targeted to become the source for software and hardware solutions available worldwide.

Additionally, the IAPR-TC6 plans to help with organization of workshops and tutorials related to open source applications and fusion of sensor information to promote the development of new sensor types based on standard hardware and to investigate new methods of image formation that can be exploited in special hardware systems.

The work of IAPR-TC6 is not possible without an active contribution of its members. Therefore, we invite everyone to join our mailing list and to exchange ideas for events and activities in this emerging challenging field. We invite you to visit our web-site www.acin.tuwien.ac.at/groups/robtec/iapr/home.htm for more information and to contribute ideas and resources.

Technical Committee Report

TC6  Special Hardware and Software Environments

 

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