Tracking 3D orientation through corresponding conics

We propose here a new method to recover the 3D orientation of a rigid body by matching corresponding conics embedded in the object itself. The method is based on writing the projective equations of the conics and rearranging them in a suitable way. This leads to a very simple linear system. Results from simulated experiments show good accuracy and suggest that this method could be used for instance in augmented reality surgery to effectively track surgery instruments inside the operating room.