The goal of this work is to accurately detect and localize boundaries in natural scenes using local image measurements. We formulate features that respond to characteristic changes in brightness, color, and texture associated with natural boundaries. In order to combine the information from these features in an optimal way, we train a classifier using human labeled images as ground truth. The output of this classifier provides the posterior probability of a boundary at each image location and orientation. We present precision-recall curves showing that the resulting detector significantly outperforms existing approaches. Our two main results are 1) that cue combination can be performed adequately with a simple linear model and 2) that a proper, explicit treatment of texture is required to detect boundaries in natural images.

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Learning to detect natural image boundaries using local brightness, color, and texture cues

Standard image processing techniques which are used to enhance noncoherent optically produced images are not applicable to radar images due to the coherent nature of the radar imaging process. A model for the radar imaging process is derived in this paper and a method for smoothing noisy radar images is also presented. The imaging model shows that the radar image is corrupted by multiplicative noise. The model leads to the functional form of an optimum (minimum MSE) filter for smoothing radar images. By using locally estimated parameter values the filter is made adaptive so that it provides minimum MSE estimates inside homogeneous areas of an image while preserving the edge structure. It is shown that the filter can be easily implemented in the spatial domain and is computationally efficient. The performance of the adaptive filter is compared (qualitatively and quantitatively) with several standard filters using real and simulated radar images.

A Model for Radar Images and Its Application to Adaptive Digital Filtering of Multiplicative Noise

Blood vessels usually have poor local contrast, and the application of existing edge detection algorithms yield results which are not satisfactory. An operator for feature extraction based on the optical and spatial properties of objects to be recognized is introduced. The gray-level profile of the cross section of a blood vessel is approximated by a Gaussian-shaped curve. The concept of matched filter detection of signals is used to detect piecewise linear segments of blood vessels in these images. Twelve different templates that are used to search for vessel segments along all possible directions are constructed. Various issues related to the implementation of these matched filters are discussed. The results are compared to those obtained with other methods. >

/pdf/detection-of-blood-vessels-in-retinal-images-using-two-2lxvrugvz5.pdf

Detection of blood vessels in retinal images using two-dimensional matched filters

A survey on evaluation methods for image segmentation

Segmentation using boundary finding is enhanced both by considering the boundary as a whole and by using model-based global shape information. The authors apply flexible constraints, in the form of a probabilistic deformable model, to the problem of segmenting natural 2-D objects whose diversity and irregularity of shape make them poorly represented in terms of fixed features or form. The parametric model is based on the elliptic Fourier decomposition of the boundary. Probability distributions on the parameters of the representation bias the model to a particular overall shape while allowing for deformations. Boundary finding is formulated as an optimization problem using a maximum a posteriori objective function. Results of the method applied to real and synthetic images are presented, including an evaluation of the dependence of the method on prior information and image quality. >

/pdf/boundary-finding-with-parametrically-deformable-models-1sb2rkma2i.pdf

Boundary finding with parametrically deformable models

Quantitative design and performance evaluation techniques are developed for the enhancement/thresholding class of image edge detectors. The design techniques are based on statistical detection theory and deterministic pattern-recognition classification procedures. The performance evaluation methods developed include: a)deterministic measurement of the edge gradient amplitude; b)comparison of the probabilities of correct and false edge detection; and c) figure of merit computation. The design techniques developed are used to optimally design a variety of small and large mask edge detectors. Theoretical and experimental comparisons of edge detectors are presented.

W.K. Pratt

Papers

Quantitative design and evaluation of enhancement/thresholding edge detectors