Color-based video segmentation using interlinked irregular pyramids

This paper presents a new segmentation technique for video sequences. It relies on building irregular pyramids based on its homogeneity over consecutive frames. Pyramids are interlinked to keep a relationship between the regions in the frames. Virtual nodes are considered to improve matching between low resolution levels of the pyramids. Its performance is good in real-world conditions because it does not depend on image constrains.     

Stochastic image pyramids

A new class of image pyramids is introduced in which a global sampling structure close to that of the twofold reduced resolution next level is generated exclusively by local processes. The probabilistic algorithm exploits local ordering relations among independent identically distributed random variables. The algorithm is superior to any coin tossing based procudure and converges to an optimal sampling structure in only three steps. It can be applied to either 1- or 2-dimensional lattices. Generation of stochastic pyramids has broad applicability. We discuss in detail curve processing in 2-dimensional image pyramids and labeling the mesh in massively parallel computers. We also mention investigation of the robustness of multiresolution algorithms and a fast parallel synthesis method for nonhomogeneous anisotropic random patterns.     

Multispectral image compression using eigenregion-based segmentation

In the study, a novel segmentation technique is proposed for multispectral satellite image compression. A segmentation decision rule composed of the principal eigenvectors of the image correlation matrix is derived to determine the similarity of image characteristics of two image blocks. Based on the decision rule, we develop an eigenregion-based segmentation technique. The proposed segmentation technique can divide the original image into some proper eigenregions according to their local terrain characteristics. To achieve better compression efficiency, each eigenregion image is then compressed by an efficient compression algorithm eigenregion-based eigensubspace transform (ER-EST). The ER-EST contains 1D eigensubspace transform (EST) and 2D-DCT to decorrelate the data in spectral and spatial domains. Before performing EST, the dimension of transformation matrix of EST is estimated by an information criterion. In this way, the eigenregion image may be approximated by a lower-dimensional components in the eigensubspace. Simulation tests performed on SPOT and Landsat TM images have demonstrated that the proposed compression scheme is suitable for multispectral satellite image.     

分水岭变换在岩屑图像分割中的应用

分水岭变换是一种基于区域和数学形态学的图像分割方法,被广泛用于灰度图像的分割之中.但传统分水岭变换过分割问题严重,图像的噪声和虚假纹理会淹没真正想得到的边缘信息.针对岩屑图像的特征,提出了一种改进的分水岭算法分割方案.先在预处理期用形态学开闭重建运算对原始图像平滑处理,在相对保留边缘不受影响的同时,降低噪声的影响.再通过非线性的阈值变换分离出目标和背景,然后在提取出目标的情况下合并过小区域,得到目标的边缘.而由于阈值变换后,区域数量已经明显减少,可以降低区域合并的运算量,提高合并速度.在求取形态学梯度时,选用了一种新的形态梯度形式,消除了形态学处理对分割结果造成的轮廓偏移现象.从实验结果看来,该算法取得了较好的分割效果.     

Interactive image segmentation using probabilistic hypergraphs

This paper introduces a novel interactive framework for segmenting images using probabilistic hypergraphs which model the spatial and appearance relations among image pixels. The probabilistic hypergraph provides us a means to pose image segmentation as a machine learning problem. In particular, we assume that a small set of pixels, which are referred to as seed pixels, are labeled as the object and background. The seed pixels are used to estimate the labels of the unlabeled pixels by learning on a hypergraph via minimizing a quadratic smoothness term formed by a hypergraph Laplacian matrix subject to the known label constraints. We derive a natural probabilistic interpretation of this smoothness term, and provide a detailed discussion on the relation of our method to other hypergraph and graph based learning methods. We also present a front-to-end image segmentation system based on the proposed method, which is shown to achieve promising quantitative and qualitative results on the commonly used GrabCut dataset.     

Brain image segmentation using semi-supervised clustering

The objective of brain image segmentation is to partition the brain images into different non-overlapping homogeneous regions representing the different anatomical structures. Magnetic resonance brain image segmentation has large number of applications in diagnosis of neurological disorders like Alzheimer diseases, Parkinson related syndrome etc. But automatically segmenting the MR brain image is not an easy task. To solve this problem, several unsupervised and supervised based classification techniques have been developed in the literature. But supervised classification techniques are more time consuming and cost-sensitive due to the requirement of sufficient labeled data. In contrast, unsupervised classification techniques work without using any prior information but it suffers from the local trap problems. So, to overcome the problems associated with unsupervised and supervised classification techniques, we have proposed a new semi-supervised clustering technique using the concepts of multiobjective optimization and applied this technique for automatic segmentation of MR brain images in the intensity space. Multiple centers are used to encode a cluster in the form of a string. The proposed clustering technique utilizes intensity values of the brain pixels as the features. Additionally it also assumes that the actual class label information of 10% points of a particular image data set is also known. Three cluster validity indices are utilized as the objective functions, which are simultaneously optimized using AMOSA, a modern multiobjective optimization technique based on the concepts of simulated annealing. First two cluster validity indices are symmetry distance based Sym-index and Euclidean distance based I-index, which are based on unsupervised properties. Last one is a supervised information based cluster validity index, Minkowski Index. The effectiveness of this proposed semi-supervised clustering technique is demonstrated on several simulated MR normal brain images and MR brain images having some multiple sclerosis lesions. The performance of the proposed semi-supervised clustering technique is compared with some other popular image segmentation techniques like Fuzzy C-means, Expectation Maximization and some recent image clustering techniques like multi-objective based MCMOClust technique, and Fuzzy-VGAPS clustering techniques.     

利用Kolmogorov-Smirnov统计的区域化图像分割

目的 为了在未知或无法建立图像模型的情况下,实现统计图像分割,提出一种结合Voronoi几何划分、K-S(Kolmogorov-Smirnov)统计以及M-H(Metropolis-Hastings)算法的图像分割方法.方法 首先利用Voronoi划分将图像域划分成不同的子区域,而每个子区域为待分割同质区域的一个组成部分,并利用K-S统计定义类属异质性势能函数,然后应用非约束吉布斯表达式构建概率分布函数,最后采用M-H算法进行采样,从而实现图像分割.结果 采用本文算法,分别对模拟图像、合成图像、真实光学和SAR图像进行分割实验,针对模拟图像和合成图像,分割结果精度均达到98%以上,取得较好的分割结果.结论 提出基于区域的图像分割算法,由于该算法中图像分割模型的建立无需原先假设同质区域内像素光谱测度的概率分布,因此提出算法具有广泛的适用性.为未知或无法建立图像模型的统计图像分割提供了一种新思路.     

Color image segmentation using competitive learning

Presents a color image segmentation method which divides the color space into clusters. Competitive learning is used as a tool for clustering the color space based on the least sum-of-squares criterion. We show that competitive learning converges to approximate the optimum solution based on this criterion, theoretically and experimentally. We apply this method to various color scenes and show its efficiency as a color image segmentation method. We also show the effects of using different color coordinates to be clustered, with some experimental results     

Multiphase image segmentation using a phase-field model

In this paper, we propose a new, fast, and stable hybrid numerical method for multiphase image segmentation using a phase-field model. The proposed model is based on the Allen-Cahn equation with a multiple well potential and a data-fitting term. The model is computationally superior to the previous multiphase image segmentation via Modica-Mortola phase transition and a fitting term. We split its numerical solution algorithm into linear and a nonlinear equations. The linear equation is discretized using an implicit scheme and the resulting discrete system of equations is solved by a fast numerical method such as a multigrid method. The nonlinear equation is solved analytically due to the availability of a closed-form solution. We also propose an initialization algorithm based on the target objects for the fast image segmentation. Finally, various numerical experiments on real and synthetic images with noises are presented to demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed model and the numerical method.     

深度图像的分层图割算法研究

以深度图像为分割对象,在迭代图割算法的基础上,通过引入分层机制加快图割执行速度,并通过引入平衡因子来平衡颜色纹理和深度之间的重要程度,从而有效地对深度图像进行分割。利用平衡因子可以在深度信息能够明显区分前背景的情况下,重点利用深度信息来分割图像,反之则重点利用颜色和纹理信息。而在迭代图割算法中,分层机制的引入能够在不降低分割精度的情况下有效地减少图割算法的执行时间。     

Leukocyte image segmentation using simulated visual attention

Computer-aided automatic analysis of microscopic leukocyte is a powerful diagnostic tool in biomedical fields which could reduce the effects of human error, improve the diagnosis accuracy, save manpower and time. However, it is a challenging to segment entire leukocyte populations due to the changing features extracted in the leukocyte image, and this task remains an unsolved issue in blood cell image segmentation. This paper presents an efficient strategy to construct a segmentation model for any leukocyte image using simulated visual attention via learning by on-line sampling. In the sampling stage, two types of visual attention, “bottom-up” and “top-down” together with the movement of the human eye are simulated. We focus on a few regions of interesting and sample high gradient pixels to group training sets. While in the learning stage, the SVM (support vector machine) model is trained in real-time to simulate the visual neuronal system and then classifies pixels and extracts leukocytes from the image. Experimental results show that the proposed method has better performance compared to the marker controlled watershed algorithms with manual intervention and thresholding-based methods.     

Accelerating compute-intensive image segmentation algorithms using GPUs

Image segmentation is an important process that facilitates image analysis such as in object detection. Because of its importance, many different algorithms were proposed in the last decade to enhance image segmentation techniques. Clustering algorithms are among the most popular in image segmentation. The proposed algorithms differ in their accuracy and computational efficiency. This paper studies the most famous and new clustering algorithms and provides an analysis on their feasibility for parallel implementation. We have studied four algorithms which are: fuzzy C-mean, type-2 fuzzy C-mean, interval type-2 fuzzy C-mean, and modified interval type-2 fuzzy C-mean. We have implemented them in a sequential (CPU only) and a parallel hybrid CPU–GPU version. Speedup gains of 6\(\times \) to 20\(\times \) were achieved in the parallel implementation over the sequential implementation. We detail in this paper our discoveries on the portions of the algorithms that are highly parallel so as to help the image processing community, especially if these algorithms are to be used in real-time processing where efficient computation is critical.     

Robust interactive image segmentation using structure-aware labeling

Interactive image segmentation has remained an active research topic in image processing and graphics, since the user intention can be incorporated to enhance the performance. It can be employed to mobile devices which now allow user interaction as an input, enabling various applications. Most interactive segmentation methods assume that the initial labels are correctly and carefully assigned to some parts of regions to segment. Inaccurate labels, such as foreground labels in background regions for example, lead to incorrect segments, even by a small number of inaccurate labels, which is not appropriate for practical usage such as mobile application. In this paper, we present an interactive segmentation method that is robust to inaccurate initial labels (scribbles). To address this problem, we propose a structure-aware labeling method using occurrence and co-occurrence probability (OCP) of color values for each initial label in a unified framework. Occurrence probability captures a global distribution of all color values within each label, while co-occurrence one encodes a local distribution of color values around the label. We show that nonlocal regularization together with the OCP enables robust image segmentation to inaccurately assigned labels and alleviates a small-cut problem. We analyze theoretic relations of our approach to other segmentation methods. Intensive experiments with synthetic and manual labels show that our approach outperforms the state of the art.     

利用曲率信息的图像分割改进模型

首先从理论上分析无须重新初始化的水平集方法的主动轮廓图像分割模型,该模型对一些具有不光滑尖角的图像进行分割时,捕捉这些尖角往往不精确甚至失败;然后对利用边缘检测函数的曲率信息识别出凸尖角并进行分割的方法进行研究,由于此方法没有考虑凹尖角的情形,故对含凹尖角的图像分割效果不理想。为解决该问题,提出利用图像的曲率信息识别出凹尖角,再将其与利用边缘检测函数曲率信息识别凸尖角的方法相结合,进一步修正边缘检测函数,达到准确捕捉物体的凸尖角和凹尖角的目的,保证了分割的准确性。数值实验表明,该方法的分割效果较好。     

Multichannel image segmentation using adaptive finite elements

We present an adaptive finite element algorithm for segmentation with denoising of multichannel images in two dimensions, of which an extension to three dimensional images is straight forward. It is based on a level set formulation of the Mumford–Shah approach proposed by Chan and Vese in (JVCIR 11:130–141,(2000); IEEE Trans Image Proces 10(2):266–277, (2001); Int J Comp Vis 50(3):271–293, (2002)) In case of a minimal partition problem an exact solution is given and convergence of the discrete solution towards this solution is numerically verified.     

语义拉普拉斯金字塔多中心乳腺肿瘤分割网络

目的 乳腺肿瘤分割对乳腺癌的辅助诊疗起着关键作用,但现有研究大多集中在单中心数据的分割上,泛化能力不强,无法应对临床的复杂数据。因此,本文提出一种语义拉普拉斯金字塔网络（semantic Laplacian pyramids network,SLAPNet）,实现多中心数据下乳腺肿瘤的准确分割。方法 SLAPNet主要包含高斯金字塔和语义金字塔两个结构,前者负责得到多尺度的图像输入,后者负责提取多尺度的语义特征并使语义特征能在不同尺度间传播。结果 网络使用Dice相似系数（Dice similarity coefficient,DSC）作为优化目标。为了验证模型性能,采用多中心数据进行测试,与AttentionUNet、PSPNet （pyramid scene parsing network）、UNet 3+、MSDNet （multiscale dual attention network）、PyConvUNet （pyramid convolutional network）等深度学习模型进行对比,并利用DSC和Jaccard系数（Jaccard coefficient,JC）等指标进行定量分析。使用内部数据集测试时,本文模型乳腺肿瘤分割的DSC为0.826;使用公开数据集测试时,DSC为0.774,比PyConvUNet提高了约1.3%,比PSPNet和UNet3+提高了约1.5%。结论 本文提出的语义拉普拉斯金字塔网络,通过结合多尺度和多级别的语义特征,可以在多中心数据上准确实现乳腺癌肿瘤的自动分割。     

Cell image segmentation using bacterial foraging optimization

Edge detection is the most commonly used method for cell image segmentation, where local search strategies are employed. Although traditional edge detectors are computationally efficient, they are heavily reliant on initialization and may produce discontinuous edges. In this paper, we propose a bacterial foraging-based edge detection (BFED) algorithm to segment cell images. We model the gradients of intensities as the nutrient concentration and propel bacteria to forage along nutrient-rich locations that mimic the behavior of Escherichia coli. Our nature-inspired evolutionary algorithm, can identify the desired edges and mark them as the tracks of bacteria. We have evaluated our algorithm against four edge detectors − the Canny, SUSAN, Verma's and an active contour model (ACM) technique − on synthetic and real cell images. Our results indicate that the BFED algorithm identifies boundaries more effectively and provides more accurate cell image segmentation.     

Unsupervised image segmentation using triplet Markov fields

Hidden Markov fields (HMF) models are widely applied to various problems arising in image processing. In these models, the hidden process of interest X is a Markov field and must be estimated from its observable noisy version Y. The success of HMF is mainly due to the fact that the conditional probability distribution of the hidden process with respect to the observed one remains Markovian, which facilitates different processing strategies such as Bayesian restoration. HMF have been recently generalized to “pairwise” Markov fields (PMF), which offer similar processing advantages and superior modeling capabilities. In PMF one directly assumes the Markovianity of the pair (X, Y). Afterwards, “triplet” Markov fields (TMF), in which the distribution of the pair (X, Y) is the marginal distribution of a Markov field (X, U, Y), where U is an auxiliary process, have been proposed and still allow restoration processing. The aim of this paper is to propose a new parameter estimation method adapted to TMF, and to study the corresponding unsupervised image segmentation methods. The latter are validated via experiments and real image processing.