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Template matching is a well-proven approach in the area of articulated object tracking. Matching accuracy and computation time of template matching are essential and yet often conflicting goals.In this paper, we present a novel, adaptive template matching approach based on the silhouette area of the articulated object. With our approach, the ratio between accuracy and speed simply is a modifiable parameter, and, even at high accuracy, it is still faster than a state-of-the-art approach. We approximate the silhouette area by a small set of axis-aligned rectangles. Utilizing the integral image, we can thus compare a silhouette with an input image at an arbitrary position independently of the resolution of the input image. In addition, our rectangle covering yields a very memory efficient representation of templates.Furthermore, we present a new method to build a template hierarchy optimized for our rectangular representation of template silhouettes.With the template hierarchy, the complexity of our matching method for n templates is O(log n) and independent of the input resolution. For example, a set of 3000 templates can be matched in 2.3 ms.Overall, our novel methods are an important contribution to a complete system for tracking articulated objects.

In this paper, we give a detailed description of a novel plasma chamber—the Zyflex chamber—that has been specifically designed for complex/dusty plasma research under reduced gravitational influence as realized during parabolic flight or aboard the International Space Station. The cylindrical, radio-frequency driven discharge device includes a variety of innovations that, for example, allow us to flexibly adjust plasma parameters and its volume via enhanced plasma generation control and a movable, multi-segmented electrode system. The new complex/dusty plasma research tool also supports, due to its overall increased size compared to former space based complex plasma experiments such as PKE-Nefedov or PK-3 Plus, much larger particle systems. Additionally, it can be operated at much lower neutral gas pressures, thus reducing the damping of particle motion considerably. Beyond the technical description and particle-in-cell simulation based characterization of the plasma vessel, we show sample results from experiments performed with this device in the laboratory as well as during parabolic flights, both of which clearly demonstrate the new quality of complex/dusty plasma research that becomes accessible with this new plasma device.