Harris and Stephens: tell corners from edges for visual tracking

What changed

A local intensity-change matrix and determinant/trace response distinguish corners from edges without relying on a few sampled shift directions, supporting combined feature extraction.

Scientific scope

A local intensity-change matrix and determinant/trace response distinguish corners from edges without relying on a few sampled shift directions, supporting combined feature extraction. The detector uses local image-gradient statistics, a specified window and response/threshold choices. Its geometric interpretation concerns the local model; noise, scale, aperture ambiguity and textured regions can limit detection. It is not a universal object-recognition algorithm or exact projective invariance. Reported image examples have not been independently replayed.

Evidence

Source-linked, scoped account of the original work. The published scope states the scientific assumptions and remaining verification limits. WRS has not independently certified the full proof, experimental result or system benchmark.

Contributors

• Chris Harris; Mike Stephens · SCIENCE: Complete original scientificbyline; noeffortfractions inferred.
• Moravec and prior cited vision methods · SCIENCE: Antecedent localfeature/edge/tracking methods; notcoauthors of this paper.
• J.Sherlock/RSRE; MODcontract · INFRASTRUCTURE: Source-listedimagery andcomparison support; notbyline science.

• Chris Harris and Mike Stephens: A Combined Corner and Edge Detector (1988)

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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