Machine vision applications of digital watermarking

Abstract

In the realm of digital watermarks applied to analog media, publications have mostly focused on applications such as document authentication, security, and links where synchronization is merely used to read the payload. In recent papers, we described issues associated with the use of inexpensive cameras to read digital watermarks [5], and we have discussed product development issues associated with the use of watermarks for several applications [3.4.6]. However, the applications presented in these papers also have been focused on the detection and use of the watermark payload as the critical technology. In this paper, we will extend those ideas by examining a wider range of analog media such as objects and surfaces and by examining machine vision applications where the watermark synchronization method (i.e., synchronizing the watermark orientation so that a payload can be extracted) and the design characteristics of the watermark itself are as critical to the application as recovering the watermark payload. Some examples of machine vision applications that could benefit from digital watermarking technology are autonomous navigation, device and robotic control, assembly and parts handling, and inspection and calibration systems for nondestructive testing and analysis. In this paper, we will review some of these applications and show how combining synchronization and payload data can significantly enhance and broaden many machine vision applications.