Comparison of Subpixel Phase Correlation Methods for Image Registration

When working sequences of images, registration of the frames to a common point of reference is an essential prerequisite for many types of image analysis. The phase correlation method (PCM) is a popular Fourier domain method to register two images. It computes a phase difference map that (ideally) contains a single peak. The location of the peak is proportional to the relative translation [dx, dy] between the two images. The PCM is resilient to noise and image defects and is readily automated.