Performance bounds on image registration

Although a vast number of publications have appeared on image registration, performance analysis is usually performed visually and little attention has been given to statistical performance bounds. Such bounds can be useful in evaluating image registration techniques, determining parameter regions where more successful registration is possible, and choosing features to be used for the registration. We derive Cramér-Rao bounds for a wide variety of geometric deformation models including translation, rotation, shearing, rigid, more general affine and non-linear transformations, and for intensity distortion and geometric deformation simultaneously. Numerical examples for illustrating the analytical performance bounds are presented.