Objective Optimization methods have become an established paradigm to address most Computer Vision challenges including thereconstruction of three-dimensional objects from multiple images, or the tracking of a deformable shape over time. Yet, it hasbeen largely overlooked that optimization approaches are practically useless if they do not come with efficient algorithms tocompute minimizers of respective energies. Most existing formulations give rise to non-convex energies. As a consequence,solutions highly depend on the choice of minimization scheme and implementational (initialization, time step sizes, etc.), withlittle or no guarantees regarding the quality of computed solutions and their robustness to perturbations of the input data.In the proposed research project, we plan to develop optimization methods for Computer Vision which allow to efficientlycompute globally optimal solutions. Preliminary results indicate that this will drastically leverage the power of optimizationmethods and their applicability in a substantially broader context. Specifically we will focus on three lines of research: 1) Wewill develop convex formulations for a variety of challenges. While convex formulations are currently being developed forlow-level problems such as image segmentation, our main effort will focus on carrying convex optimization to higher levelproblems of image understanding and scene interpretation. 2) We will investigate alternative strategies of global optimizationby means of discrete graph theoretic methods. We will characterize advantages and drawbacks of continuous and discretemethods and thereby develop novel algorithms combining the advantages of both approaches. 3) We will go beyond convexformulations, developing relaxation schemes that compute near-optimal solutions for problems that cannot be expressed byconvex functionals. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputer vision Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-PE6 - ERC Starting Grant - Computer science and informatics Call for proposal ERC-2009-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN EU contribution € 1 985 400,00 Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen Germany See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Daniel Cremers (Prof.) Administrative Contact Ulrike Ronchetti (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Germany EU contribution € 1 985 400,00 Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Daniel Cremers (Prof.) Administrative Contact Ulrike Ronchetti (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data