International Journal of Image Processing and Visual Communication

Volume 1 , Issue1, August 2012

24

An Image Processing Technique For LBW Decision Making
Based on 2 Dimensional Analysis

K.Vikram Gajanan
1
and C.Udaya Kumar
1

1
BSA Crescent Engineering College
viki_341@yahoo.com

Abstract A camera is placed such that it
records the side view of play i.e. the view
from square leg or point. From another
camera the top view of play, directly
above the pitch is recorded. From the
videos obtained from these two cameras
the position of the ball in consecutive
frames is obtained. Using the ball
position in consecutive frames a curve
representing the equation of motion of
the ball is obtained. If the ball hadnt hit
the pads it would have continued in its
equation of motion. By extrapolating the
equation of motion of the ball to the
stumps it could be Play is continuously
recorded in this camera. Whenever a
close LBW appeal occurs the video of
that particular delivery is cut. The pixel
value of the ball in consecutive frames is
then obtained using a MATLAB
program. Since we know that any
projectile determined if it would have hit
the stumps.

Introduction Now a days the hawk
eye (ball tracking) technology is used to
determine the correctness of LBW
decisions. It is based on the 3
dimensional tracking of the ball. The
image is digitized and in the process
sampled and quantized and so the
accuracy of prediction suffers. On the
other hand the method proposed in this
paper tracks the ball two dimensionally
on two different planes wherein the
digitization of the image is not required
and so the method proposed here doesnt
compromise on accuracy.

Principle of operation The camera is
placed as shown in the figure below and
it gives the side view of play.


projected from the earths surface moves
in a parabolic path, the ball after pitching
travels in a parabolic path when viewed
on a 2 dimensional plane parallel to the
plane of the side camera(x-y plane).
From the pixel values of the ball a
parabolic curve is fit. This curve gives
the equation of motion of the ball. The
equation of the parabola is of the form y
= f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c=0. By the
method of interpolation the values of the
coefficients a and b can be obtained in
MATLAB.Having obtained the equation
of motion the ball we can say that if the
ball hadnt hit the pads it would have
continued in its equation of motion.
Therefore by tracing the equation of
motion of the ball to the stumps we can
say if it would have gone to hit the
stumps. To do this from any of the
frames the pixel value of the top of the
International Journal of Image Processing and Visual Communication
Volume 1 , Issue1, August 2012
25

stump is noted (say hx, hy). Substitute
hx for x in the parabolic equation and
obtain the corresponding y value. This
The other camera is placed as shown in
the figure below. It gives the top view of
play. Play is continuously recorded in
this camera as well. Whenever a close
LBW . value of y is compared with the
value of hy. If this value of y is lesser
than hy then it can be concluded that the
ball is within the height of the stumps
else the ball is above the height of the
stumps.

In the figure below

the curve which traces the ball is the
required parabolic equation. The value
of x at the stumps hx is substituted in the
parabolic equation. The obtained value
of y is compared with the value of y at
the top of the stumps (i.e.) hy. If y is
lesser than hy it can be concluded that
the ball is within the height of the
stumps else the ball is above the height
of the stumps.
The other camera is placed as shown in
the figure below. It gives the top view of
play.
Play is continuously recorded in this
camera as well. Whenever a close LBW
appeal occurs the video of that particular
delivery is cut. The pixel value of the
ball in consecutive frames is then
obtained using a MATLAB program.
From the various pixel values of the ball
a parabolic curve is fit. This equation
gives the equation of motion of the ball
in a 2 dimensional plane parallel to the
plane of the top camera(x-z plane). The
equation of this parabolic curve is of the
form
z = f(x) = ax^2 + bx +c =0.



By the method of interpolation the
values of the coefficients a and b are
obtained using MATLAB. Having
obtained the equation of motion of the
ball we can say that if the ball hadnt hit
the pads it would have continued in its
equation of motion. Therefore by tracing
the equation of the ball to the stumps we
can say if it would have gone to hit the
stumps. To do this from any of the
frames the pixel values of the left
extreme and right extreme of the stumps
are noted (say (sx, sz1) and (sx, sz2)).
Substitute sx for x in the above parabolic
equation and obtain the corresponding z
value. If the z value lies within sz1 and
sz2 (i.e.) within the left and the right
extremes of the off stump and the leg
stump resp. then the ball will hit within
the range of the stumps. If the z value
doesnt lie within the left and right
extremes of the stumps then the ball will
hit outside the range of the stumps.
International Journal of Image Processing and Visual Communication
Volume 1 , Issue1, August 2012
26

From the top camera the frame
corresponding to the instant at which the
ball hits the batsmens pads is captured.
The value of the z co-ordinate at this
instant is compared with the z co-
ordinate of the off stump or the leg
stump, depending upon the delivery. If
the ball hits the batsmens pads outside
the range of the stumps i.e. if the point
of impact is outside the stumps the
batsmen can straight away be declared
NOT OUT.

If the ball pitches outside the leg stump
it can be determined in a similar way as
explained above.

Hence from the above arguments it can
be concluded that, if all the conditions of
both the cameras evaluate to TRUE (i.e.)
if the ball lies within the height of the
stumps, the ball lies within the expanse
of the stumps (within the leg stump and
off stump), the point of impact is within
the stumps and if the ball doesnt pitch
outside the leg stump the ball will surely
go on to hit the stumps and the batsmen
is declared OUT. If even any one of the
conditions evaluates to false the ball
wont hit the stumps and the batsmen is
NOT OUT. This technology is so simple
that it can be implemented in television
sets. For customers using television
services from DTH service providers,
they can demand video coverage from
any of the camera. Hence when a
spectator watching a cricket match from
his home has any doubt if it was an
LBW he can demand the top camera and
the side camera videos of the previous
ball. The demand of the spectator is
accepted and the top and the side camera
videos of the previous ball is displayed
on the television. During this time a
video recorder when attached to the
television records these videos. The
videos thus recorded are processed as
described above. This processing can be
accomplished even by means of a low
end processor which can be built within
the television as a new appendage.

A software can be developed which
obtains the pixel information of the ball
from those samples and uses these
information to predict whether the ball
would have hit the stumps.

Advantages of this technology
The present hawk eye technology that
is being used tracks the ball 3
dimensionally. The image here, is
digitized and in the process sampled and
quantized and so the accuracy of
prediction is reduced. On the other hand
the method proposed in this paper tracks
the ball two dimensionally. No sampling
or quantization is employed and thus the
method proposed here doesnt
compromise on accuracy.
Moreover this method is very simple to
implement. A high degree of accuracy is
achieved at a very low cost.

At present a minimum of 3 cameras are
required to locate a point in space. But in
this technique we are able to track the
motion of the ball with just two cameras
which is an advancement in technology.
International Journal of Image Processing and Visual Communication
Volume 1 , Issue1, August 2012
27


Limitations
Umpires or some fielders may restrict
the view of the ball from the camera. In
this case the view of the ball is blocked
by the fielder for an instant of time.
Hence we wont be able to obtain the
pixel information of the ball during that
instant. This may reduce the accuracy of
prediction.

Real time problems encountered
When the sampled video signals are
projected two dimensionally on the
computer screen the pixel value of the
pitch at different places will be different.
This implies that the y co-ordinate of the



Another problem is the fixing of top
camera. As seen in the figure above the
top camera which gives the top view is
fixed to a rod that runs along the
diameter of the cricket field. But now a
days in ICL cricket matches such type of
cameras fixed in such positions are used.
Further the position of the camera on the
rod is controlled by a remote control.
pitch is different at different places
(consider the side view). But in reality
the whole pitch is on the ground and
hence it should have only one unique
value as its y co-ordinate.
To solve this problem a simple solution
would be to place the side camera at the
same level as the pitch (i.e.) on the
ground. In this case the pitch would be
seen as a straight horizontal line and the
stump would be seen as a straight
vertical line. Also the base of the camera
should be placed parallel to the pitch.
When the camera is placed in this way
the edge of the pitch has a single unique
value as its y co-ordinate.


Conclusion
From the idea presented in this paper it
can be concluded that, this idea would
yield higher accuracy as compared to the
present hawk eye system. At the same
time it is much cheaper than the hawk
eye system. Implementing this idea is
not difficult. Simple MATLAB coding
will do.