Feature Flow Fields

Abstract

Feature tracking algorithms for instationary vector fields are usually based on a correspondence analysis of the features at different time steps. This paper introduces a method for feature tracking which is based on the integration of stream lines of a certain vector field called feature flow field. We analyze for which features the method of feature flow fields can be applied, we show how events in the flow can be detected using feature flow fields, and we show how to construct the feature flow fields for particular classes of features. Finally, we apply the technique to track critical points in a 2D instationary vector field.