Abstract

We describe “GW4,” an efficient video segmentation algorithm designed for FPGA implementation. The algorithm detects moving foreground objects against a multimodal background; it is motivated by two well-known adaptive background differencing algorithms, Grimson's algorithm and W4. GW4 is designed specifically for implementation on reconfigurable FPGA hardware, avoiding the use of floating point numbers and transcendental operations, and operates at real-time frame rates on 640x480 video streams. We present experimental results indicating processing speeds, and superior segmentation performance to Grimson's algorithm.