Hi St�fan and others, As requested. Depth maps provide data on non-flat surfaces. Curvature is the amount by which a object/surface deviates from being flat. Using differential geometry, we can find the compute the curvature of the surfaces in an image. Due to the structure of a depth map (essentially a Monge Patch see: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MongePatch.html), numerical computation of the surface curvature map only requires the first and second partial derivative estimates at each surface point and can be estimated using np.gradient() function. Here is example output form the provided code: http://i.imgur.com/kyMaR1F.jpg If interested, slightly more detail provided after my signature block. I have no ego over this, so if not appropriate to skimage that is ok. Heck, someone else can take control and include this into skimage, but I suspect like me, everyone is busy with life and other side projects. Michael. -- What follows is a more detailed version of above. Apologies if some of the following is obvious some. In my current research, my focus is on depth maps or range images. Others in our research ground are using point clouds. The benefit of depth maps is that they are basically a structured point cloud but allow me to use common 2D image processing algorithms on the depth maps, and not worry about a specific point cloud library or algorithms. For example applying some simple morphological operations (from skimge) I have been segment objects at varying depths, i.e segment objects that standout. A depth map is gray-scale image which encodes the distance for a certain view or perspective. Depth maps record the first surface seen and (obviously) cannot display information about occluded surfaces, surfaces seen or refracted through transparent object or reflected in mirrors. I also have an aligned with the color view of the same scene, but not directly relevant to this post. Curvature is the amount by which a object/surface deviates from being flat. Curvature can be used to describe a surface. Either using the curvature pixel value itself as the feature or calculating one of eight surface primitives are: peak, pit, ridge, valley, flat, minimal, saddle ridge, and saddle valley surfaces. In the code provided in the original post I just calculate the the curvature value of each pixel, resulting in a curvature feature map. Technically the code provided can be applied to any grey-scale image, but really only makes sense when applied to range iamges. Depth maps provide data on non-flat surfaces. Differential geometry can be used to process and analyse data on non-flat surfaces. Using differential geometry, we can find the compute the curvature of the surfaces in an image. A depth or range value at a point (x, y ) is given by a single-valued function z(x,y), essentially a Monge Patch see: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MongePatch.html. Because of this the Gaussian and mean curvatures are only related to the first and second partial derivatives of the function z with respect to x and y. Thus the numerical computation of the surface curvature map only requires the first and second partial derivative estimates at each surface point. These can be estimated using np.gradient() function. Once we have these estimates, it is simply a mater of substituting into the equations from the various papers. Here is the code applied to a range image from the Middlebury data set (http://vision.middlebury.edu/stereo/data/). The linked image shows he original range image, mean and guassian curvature, and simplified mean and guassian curvature. The RGB imagery is included for completeness but is not used in the calculation. Curvature Example: http://i.imgur.com/kyMaR1F.jpg On 19/11/2013 11:37 pm, St�fan van der Walt wrote:

Dear Michael

...

I have implemented mean and gaussian curvature methods in python and thought they may be appropriate for inclusion to skimage. An outline of the code is provided below. It assumes a surface defined as a function of two coordinates, e.g. z = Z(x, y). The curvature calculations are from the following two papers Thank you for your post, and sorry for not responding earlier: I was hoping someone more knowledgeable would jump in. Since I am not that

On Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 3:19 PM, Brickle Macho <bricklemacho@gmail.com> wrote: person, would you mind explaining to me the gist of this work, and what it aims to do, perhaps with some example images?

Thanks! St�fan