A Qualitative Approach to the Identification, Visualisation and Interpretation of
Repetitive Motion Patterns in Groups of Moving Point Objects

  Seyed Chavoshi1, Bernard De Baets2, Yi Qiang3, Guy De Tré4, Tijs Neutens1, and Nico Van de Weghe1

1Department of Geography, Ghent University, Belgium

2Department of Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Belgium

3Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, United States

4Department of Telecommunications and Information Processing, Ghent University, Belgium

Abstract: Discovering repetitive patterns is important in a wide range of research areas, such as bioinformatics and human movement analysis. This study puts forward a new methodology to identify, visualise and interpret repetitive motion patterns in groups of Moving Point Objects (MPOs). The methodology consists of three steps. First, motion patterns are qualitatively described using the Qualitative Trajectory Calculus (QTC). Second, a similarity analysis is conducted to compare motion patterns and identify repetitive patterns. Third, repetitive motion patterns are represented and interpreted in a continuous triangular model. As an illustration of the usefulness of combining these hitherto separated methods, a specific movement case is examined: Samba dance, a rhythmical dance with many repetitive movements. The results show that the presented methodology is able to successfully identify, visualize and interpret the contained repetitive motions.

Keywords: MPO, QTC, similarity analysis, repetitive motion patterns, continuous triangular model (CTM).

Received August 22, 2013; accepted May 11, 2014