This paper contains a simplified framework for the analysis of sequenc
es of images taken by uncalibrated cameras. It is assumed that the cor
respondences between the points in the different images are known. Cor
responding points in a sequence of n images are related to each other
by a fixed n-linear form. This form is an object invariant property, c
losely linked to the motion of the camera relative to the fixed world.
We first describe a reduced setting in which these multilinear forms
are easier to understand and analyse. This new formulation of the mult
ilinear forms is then extended to the calibrated case and the traditio
nal uncalibrated case, thus highlighting the similarities between the
different settings. The framework is of importance as a theoretical to
ol for understanding the algebra of multiple view geometry, but it is
also a basis for constructing linear algorithms for the recovery of st
ructure and motion from image sequences. This is illustrated in experi
ments. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.