Vector order statistics operators as color edge detectors

Color edge detection is approached in this paper using vector order statistics. Based on the R-ordering method, a class of color edge detectors is defined. These detectors function as vector operators as opposed to component-wise operators. Specific edge detectors can be obtained as special cases of this class. Various such detectors are defined and analyzed. Experimental results show the noise robustness of the vector order statistics operators. A quantitative evaluation and comparison to other color edge detectors favors our approach. Edge detection results obtained from real color images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in real applications.