A Hierarchical Dynamic Link Network to Solve the Visual Correspondence Problem
Conventional neural networks try to solve the problem of object recognition in a single step by building a stimulus — response system that codes its result as cell activities. We take a different approach assuming that recognition is an active process with temporal dynamics and results in an ordered state. We present a structure of neuronal layers, interconnected by dynamic links (von der Malsburg, 1985 Berichte der Bunsengesellschaft für Physikalische Chemie89 703 – 710) that solves the correspondence problem between two images and thus constitutes an important building block for a model of recognition. Images as well as stored models are represented as Gabor pyramids. This allows the dynamics to proceed from coarse to fine scale and reduces the sequential processing time inherent in the concept. Invariance under background changes is also made possible. On the lowest frequency level, a single blob of activity moves across the image and model layer, respectively. Dynamic links between these layers are initialised to the (highly ambiguous) feature similarities. Links grow or decline according to a combination of feature similarity and correlated activation. This enforces correct neighbourhood relationships in addition to feature similarity. On the higher levels the established correspondences are refined by several blobs in parallel. We present an improved version of the dynamical system proposed by Würtz [1995 Multilayer Dynamic Link Networks for Establishing Image Point Correspondences and Visual Object Recognition (Thun, Frankfurt a.M.: Harri Deutsch)] and show, with examples of human faces, that it evolves from an unordered link distribution to any ordered state where only corresponding point pairs are connected by strong links. Correspondences between sample points are population-coded by a set of neighbouring links.