title: An adaptive algorithm for tracking 3D bead displacements: application in biological experiments.
abstract: This paper presents a feature-vector-based relaxation method (FVRM) to track bead displacements within a three-dimensional (3D) volume. FVRM merges the feature vector method, a technique used in tracking bead displacements in biological gels, with the relaxation method, an algorithm employed successfully in tracking bead pairs in fluids. More specifically, FVRM evaluates the probability of a bead pairing event based on the quasi-rigidity condition between the feature vectors of a bead and its candidate positions within a searching domain. Computational efficiency is improved via the introduction of an adaptive searching domain size and mismatches are reduced via a two-directional matching strategy. The algorithm is validated using simulated 3D bead displacements caused by a force dipole within a linear elastic gel. Results demonstrate a consistently high recovery ratio (above 98%) and low mismatch ratio (below 0.1%) for tracking parameter (mean bead distance/maximum bead displacement) greater than 0.73.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Xinzeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Chung-Yuen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hui
keywords: adaptive; bead tracking; feature vector; relaxation method; three dimensional; two-frame