A method and system is presented for generating a full motion field of an
object, when performing non-rigid image registration between a first and
a second image of the object. A mesh grid generator generates in the
first image a mesh grid having a plurality of mesh nodes, for each of a
hierarchy of mesh resolution levels. A nodal motion estimator estimates,
for each mesh node, at least one nodal motion vector that describes a
matching of the mesh node with a corresponding mesh node in the second
image. At each mesh node, multi-level block matching is performed, using
a similarity measure based on pattern intensity. A smoothness constraint
is imposed, in order to reconstruct the nodal motion vector for those
mesh nodes at which mismatching occurs. A motion field interpolator
determines a local motion vector for any desired point of interest within
the first image, by interpolating from the nodal motion vectors of the
surrounding mesh nodes.