Direct Optical Estimation of Deformation Gradient Tensors Using Lucas-Kanade Digital Image Warping

Mechanical characterization of inhomogeneous and/or geometrically complex biological tissues requires precise and accurate determination of strain fields. Digital image correlation is a well established technique for determining strain fields on the surfaces of deforming materials. The technique involves matching patterns between pairs of images to estimate the displacement of certain regions or features on a sample.2 Image correlation has also been used to track deformations in dynamic magnetic resonance images of heart and brain.3Copyright © 2013 by ASME