System and method for detecting and tracking a curvilinear object in a three-dimensional space

A method for detecting and tracking a curvilinear object in a three-dimensional space, comprising:

• receiving, by a data processing system, a video signal from an image acquisition system that comprises a video camera arranged to acquire a video image of said curvilinear object and output said video signal, said video image comprising a plurality n of image frames each at a respective time ti, where i=1, 2, . . . , n;
• and
• determining a position, orientation and shape of said curvilinear object in said three-dimensional space at each time ti by forming a computational model of said curvilinear object at each time ti using said data processing system such that a projection of said computation model of said curvilinear object at each time ti onto a corresponding frame of said plurality of image frames of said video image matches a curvilinear image in said frame to a predetermined accuracy to thereby detect and track said curvilinear object from time t1 to time tn.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable code for detecting and tracking a curvilinear object in a three-dimensional space, said computer-executable code comprising instructions that, when executed by said computer, causes said computer to:

• receive a video signal from an image acquisition system that comprises a video camera arranged to acquire a video image of said curvilinear object and output said video signal, said video image comprising a plurality n of image frames each at a respective time ti, where i=1, 2, . . . , n;
• and
• determine a position, orientation and shape of said curvilinear object in said three-dimensional space at each time ti by forming a computational model of said curvilinear object at each time ti such that a projection of said computation model of said curvilinear object at each time ti onto a corresponding frame of said plurality of image frames of said video image matches a curvilinear image in said frame to a predetermined accuracy to thereby detect and track said curvilinear object from time t1 to time tn.