It is shown that a previously proposed rapid sampling technique can be exte
nded using a strategy based on chord bisection. The strategy is characteris
ed by very high speed of operation coupled with accurate location, and can
be matched to the level of robustness required by the application. The new
technique has been tested on images in which the ellipses are cereal grains
with close to 2:1 aspect ratio, but it appears to be suitable for locating
ellipses of any eccentricity with near ultimate speed of processing.