Comp 3301– Visual Computing and Applications

Course Outline – Fall 2022

Department of Computer Science

Course Instructor: Dr. Oscar Meruvia-Pastor

Email: Use MUN’s online course shell’s email. Include the title “Comp 3301” in the subject
Office: ER-6032
Office Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 12:00-13:00, by appointment via email.

Classroom Lectures:
C-2045 or may be delivered remotely via D2L’s Online Rooms MWF @ 11am

Teaching Assistants: To be announced in MUN’s course shell, a.k.a. Brightspace/D2L

Course Description: Comp 3301 is an introduction to Visual Computing that delves into Image
Processing and its applications.

Reference Textbooks (not required):

Rafael C. Gonzalez and Richard E. Woods, “Digital Image Processing (3rd Edition),”
2007, ISBN: 978-0131687288
Richard Szeliski, “Computer Vision: Algorithms and Applications,” 2011, ISBN: 978-
1848829343

Course Summary:
We perceive a significant proportion of impressions about the world around us through our
visual system. This course introduces how computers are used to both mimic the human visual
system for computational processing (e.g., for recognizing shapes) and to create visual content
for human consumption (e.g. for synthesizing images). Related techniques on image processing,
image analysis and image synthesis are discussed under a unified framework. We will also
examine how visual computing principles are used to create visual effects in movies and
advertisements.

Evaluation:
Assignments .......................................... 25%
In-Class participation (TopHat) ........... 25%
Midterm Exams .................................... 25%
Final Exam ........................................... 25%

Mid-term exams will be held according to the Semester Plan below and the final exam will be
scheduled by the Registrar’s Office later in the term. In the event of university closure on the day
of a test, the test will be given in the next available lecture day with no special announcement.
For other exemptions, see the policies and important notes below.

Students who obtain less than 40% of the marks of any of the Midterms or in the Final
examinations cannot get a final grade higher than 54% (D). Students who obtain less than 50%
of the marks of any Midterm or the Final examinations cannot get a final grade higher than 64%
(C).

Once a grade is posted, be it for an assignment, a TopHat question, or an examination, students

have up to 5 working days to challenge the grade obtained. After that time, a grade becomes
permanent and cannot be changed retroactively.
The D2Lwebsite (https://online.mun.ca/) is used for posting all assignments and you are required
to check regularly regarding assignment announcements and due dates. Special dedication should
be given to the assignments, as they are essential for success. All assignments are due at the time
and dates specified in the assignment sheet. Late submissions will be subject to points deduction.
All assignments must be submitted online via Desire2Learn.
If, for special circumstances (such as medical, accidental or bereavement) a student misses an
examination, a quiz or an assignment, the student should notify the instructor as soon as possible
(within a week), providing any related documentation, in accordance with University policies, in
which case, the percentage will be distributed to the corresponding evaluation category (exams,
assignments or participation). It is the responsibility of the student to initiate contact to ask for a
make-up examination within the first week of the missed examination, and to be ready to write
the examination as soon as possible. Failure to notify within one week of an examination will
result in a mark of 0% for that work or examination. The information required for medical notes
in the case of a missed final exam is established in the University Calendar’s general academic
regulations section 5.14.4.

Course Topics
Introduction: human perception; intensity & color; image acquisition; display hardware
Image basics: image representation; intensity histogram; histogram operation; image blending;
Image filtering: image filtering; smoothing & sharpening filters; Fourier transformation;
frequency-domain filters;
Raster graphics: line & circle generation; line clipping; polygon filling;
Binary images: intensity thresholding; digital halftoning; morphology operation; distance
transform;
Image analysis: edge detection; Hough transform; region-based segmentation; corner detection;
Image synthesis: geometric operations; warping & sampling; feature-based warping; image
morphing;
Image matching: template matching; motion estimation; multiscale processing;
Important Notes

Communication
1. Important news and all course communication should be directed through the online
shell for the course, available through the following link: https://online.mun.ca/
2. Any e-mail messages to the instructor should be sent through the Brightspace/D2L course
shell. Brightspace/D2L email will be checked within three working days, typically during
office hours. Only when extraordinary circumstances (emergencies or last-minute
notifications) arise, you can email your professor at oscar@mun.ca.
3. Any discussion or question regarding marking of assignments should be brought up first
to the course instructor, not the Teaching Assistant.

Schedule
4. For the schedule of activities and the course slides to read from each text refer to the
semester plan shown below.
5. Important dates (such as drop and add dates) can be found in the University Diary
(http://www.mun.ca/regoff/calendar/sectionNo=GENINFO-0086).

Student Resources
6. We want to see each student committed to succeed in the course. All students are
encouraged to regularly visit the professor and teaching assistant for help or clarification
with the topics presented in class, lab or tested in the examinations. However, before
asking for help, students are expected to read the laboratory and assignments sheets
carefully and complete the necessary work as much as possible.
7. Student tutoring is also available through the Computer Science Help Centre, located in
the second floor of the Engineering Building. For hours and information visit
https://www.mun.ca/computerscience/ugrad/HelpCtr_Schedule.php

Course Copyright
8. Online course materials will be available through the Brightspace/Desire2Learn (D2L)
system. The lectures provided in this course, including any visual or audio recording
thereof, are subject to copyright owned by Dr. Oscar Meruvia and the authors and co-
authors of the supplemental materials used in the course. They are meant solely for
academic use by the students registered in the class. It is prohibited to record, copy,
upload or republish by any means, in any format, openly or surreptitiously, in whole or in
part, in the absence of express written permission from the course instructor, any of the
lectures or materials provided or published in any form during or from the course.

Marking
9. Grading of work will follow the scale laid out in the general regulations in the University
Calendar, general regulations section 5.8.
10. All written materials delivered must comply with the expectations set out in the
University Calendar regulations for good writing (section 5.8.3).
 11. Cheating will not be tolerated. Students are expected to complete the material on their
own and need to prove they personally understand the course material. Students have
been detected cheating and have failed this course for that reason. If an assignment is
found to be copied from other student or any other source, it will receive a mark of zero.
In addition, students found guilty of an academic offence may be subject to a number of
penalties commensurate with the offence including reprimand, reduction of grade,
probation, suspension or expulsion from the University, in accordance with the
University Regulations for Academic Misconduct shown here:
https://www.mun.ca/regoff/calendar/sectionNo=REGS-0748.

Accommodations

12. Memorial University of Newfoundland is committed to supporting inclusive education

based on the principles of equity, accessibility and collaboration. Accommodations are
provided within the scope of the University Policies for the Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities (http://www.mun.ca/policy/site/policy.php?id=239). Students
who may need an academic accommodation are asked to initiate a request with the Glenn
Roy Blundon Centre at the earliest opportunity (www.mun.ca/blundon/).

Covid stuff

13. If Memorial University campus operations are required to change because of health
concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person lectures will transition to
synchronous online meetings, following our normal class hours.
14. To protect yourself and those around you, it is important to stay home if you feel unwell
or if you are under quarantine. Note that you will not be penalized if you need to stay
home for quarantine. Please keep me informed so we can work together to allow you to
keep up with the course materials should you need to miss classes.
15. As a part of our shared responsibility to keep each other and our extended families safe,
COVID-19 vaccines are required for all students, faculty, and staff; masks are required
on all Memorial campuses in all indoor spaces.

Disclaimer

16. Although changes to this document are not intended at this time, any part of this course
outline can be subject to change, and more so within the first three weeks of classes.
Changes will be announced in class and/or posted over Brightspace/D2L.
 Comp 3301 - Semester Plan for Lectures & Reading – Fall 2022

Week Tues Thursd

Monday Wednesday Friday
day ay
September 5 6 Sep 7 8 Sep 9
Labor Day The Basics Introduction
1
Lectures Begin Tues->

Sep 12 13 Sep 14 15 Sep 16

2
Visual Perception Intensity & Color Image Acquisition
Sep 19 20 Sep 21 22 Sep 23
3 Display Hardware Image Representation Intensity Trasnforms

Sep 26 27 Sep 28 29 Sep 30

4 Histogram Operations Image Blending Truth & Reconciliation
day (no lectures)
October 3 4 Oct 5 6 Oct 7
5 Image Filtering Smoothing Filters Sharpening Filters
Assignment 1 due
Oct 10 11 Oct 12 13 Oct 14
Fall Break Begins Fall Fourier Transformation Midterm
6
(No lectures) Break Pretend it’s Monday
Ends
Oct 17 18 Oct 19 20 Oct 21
7 Fourier Transformation Frequency-Domain Line & Circle Generation
Assignment 2 due Filters
Oct 24 25 Oct 26 27 Oct 28
8 Line Clipping Intensity Thresholding Edge Detection

Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 3 Nov 4

9 Midterm 2 Hough Transform Digital Halftoning
(Last day to Drop) Assignment 3 due
Nov 7 8 Nov 9 10 Nov 11
Morphology Operations Distance Transforms Pretend Remembrance day (no
10
Region Segmentation it’s lectures)
(Friday lecture)-> Friday
Nov 14 15 Nov 16 17 Nov 18
11 Corner Detection Geometric Operations Warping & Sampling
Assignment 4 due
Nov 21 22 Nov 23 24 Nov 25
12
Feature-Based Warping Image Morphing Template Matching
Nov 28 29 Nov 30 Dec 1 Lectures End Dec 2
13 Motion Estimation & Image compression Q & A, Review
Multiscale Processing Assignment 5 due
Dec 5 6 Dec 7 8 Dec 9
14 Final Exams Start
Dec 12 13 Dec 14 15 Dec 16
15 Final Exams End