A review of image-warping methods

Image warping is a transformation which maps all positions in one image plane to positions in a second plane. It arises in many image analysis problems, whether in order to remove optical distortions introduced by a camera or a particular viewing perspective, to register an image with a map or template, or to align two or more images. The choice of warp is a compromise between a smooth distortion and one which achieves a good match. Smoothness can be ensured by assuming a parametric form for the warp or by constraining it using differential equations. Matching can be specified by points to be brought into alignment, by local measures of correlation between images, or by the coincidence of edges. Parametric and non-parametric approaches to warping, and matching criteria, are reviewed.