A fast direct fourier-based algorithm for subpixel registration of images

This paper presents a new direct Fourier-based algorithm for performing ima ge-to-image registration to subpixel accuracy, where the image differences are restricted to translations and uniform changes of illumination. The alg orithm detects the Fourier components that have become unreliable estimator s of shift due to aliasing, and removes them from the shift-estimate comput ation. In the presence of aliasing, the average precision of the registrati on is a few hundredths of a pixel. Experimental data presented here show that the new algorithm yields superio r registration precision in the presence of aliasing when compared to sever al earlier methods and has comparable precision to the iterative method of Thevenaz et al [21].