Automatic video object generation tool: segmentation and tracking of persons in real time

In the field of the multimedia applications, future standards as mpeg4 or mpeg7 allow new image content representation that goes far from the basic compression. This way, the objects of interest become entities that the user can manipulate. Nevertheless, the norm does not specify how objects have to be segmented, even if in some cases this is a complex task. In the framework of the European project m4m (mpeg fo(u)r Mobiles, Medea project Al 16), we have in charge the development of a demonstrator able to segment and track a speaker in videophone and videoconference applications.