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Image processing

In the broadest sense, image processing is any form of information processing for which both the input and output are images, such as photographs or frames of video. Most image processing techniques involve treating the image as a two-dimensional signal and applying standard signal processing techniques to it.

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In the broadest sense, image processing is any form of information processing for which both the input and output are images, such as photographs or frames of video. Most image processing techniques involve treating the image as a two-dimensional signal and applying standard signal processing techniques to it.

Solution Methods


A few decades ago, image processing was done largely in the analog domain, chiefly by optical Optics

Optics is a branch of physics [i] that describes the behavior and properties of light [i] and the inter ... 

 devices. These optical methods are still essential to applications such as holography Holography

Holography is the science of producing holograms; it is an advanced form of photography [i] that... 

 because they are inherently parallel; however, due to the significant increase in computer Computer

A computer is a machine [i] for manipulating data [i] according to a list of instructions [i] ... 

 speed, these techniques are increasingly being replaced by digital image processing methods.

Digital image processing techniques are generally more versatile, reliable, and accurate; they have the additional benefit of being easier to implement than their analog counterparts. Specialized hardware is still used for digital image processing: computer architectures based on pipelining have been the most commercially successful. There are also many massively parallel architectures that have been developed for the purpose. Today, hardware solutions are commonly used in video processing systems. However, commercial image processing tasks are more commonly done by software running on conventional personal computers.

Commonly Used Signal Processing Techniques


Most of the signal processing concepts that apply to one-dimensional signals also extend to the two-dimensional image signal. Some of these one-dimensional signal processing concepts become significantly more complicated in two-dimensional processing. Image processing brings some new concepts, such as connectivity and rotational invariance, that are meaningful only for two-dimensional signals.

The fast fourier transform is often used for image processing operations because it reduces the amount of data and the necessary processing time.

One-Dimensional Techniques


  • Resolution Image resolution

    Image resolution describes the detail an image holds.... 

  • Dynamic range
  • Bandwidth Bandwidth

    Bandwidth is a measure of frequency [i] range and is typically measured in hertz [i].

... 


  • Filtering
  • Differential operators
  • Edge detection
  • Domain modulation
  • Noise reduction

Two-Dimensional Techniques


  • Connectivity
  • Rotational invariance

Typical Problems


  • Geometric transformation Euclidean geometry

    Euclidean geometry is a mathematical system attributed to the Greek [i] mathematician [i] Euclid [i] ... 

    s such as enlargement, reduction, and rotation
  • Color Color

    Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories... 

     corrections such as brightness and contrast adjustments, quantization, or conversion to a different color space Color space

    A color model [i] is an abstract mathematical model describing the way color [i]s can be represented as ... 

  • Registration  of two or more images
  • Combination of two or more images, e.g. into an average, blend, difference, or image composite
  • Interpolation, demosaicing Demosaicing

    A demosaicing algorithm [i] is a digital image process [i] used to interpolate ... 

    , and recovery of a full image from a RAW image format like a Bayer filter Bayer filter

    A Bayer filter mosaic is a color filter array [i] for arranging RGB [i] color filters on ... 

     pattern
  • Segmentation of the image into regions
  • Image editing Digital image editing

    Digital image editing is the process of altering digital image [i]s, whether they be digital photograph [i] ... 

     and digital retouching
  • Extending dynamic range by combining differently exposed images


and many more.

Besides static two-dimensional images, the field also covers the processing of time-varying signals such as video Video

Video is the technology of capturing, recording, processing, transmitting, and reconstructing moving pictures [i]... 

 and the output of tomographic equipment. Some techniques, such as morphological image processing, are specific to binary or grayscale image Grayscale

In computing [i], a grayscale or greyscale digital image [i] is an image in which the value of eac ... 

s.

Applications

  • Photography Photography

    Photography is the process of making pictures by means of the action of light.... 

     and printing
  • Satellite image processing
  • Medical image processing
  • Face detection, feature detection, face identification
  • Microscope image processing
  • Car barrier detection

Related Concepts

  • Classification
  • Feature extraction
  • Pattern recognition
  • Projection
  • Multi-scale signal analysis
  • Principal components analysis
  • Independent component analysis
  • Self organizing map
  • Hidden Markov model Hidden Markov model

    A hidden Markov model is a statistical model [i] where the system being modeled is assumed to be a Markov process [i] ... 

  • Neural networks Neural network

    A neural network is a system [i] of interconnecting neuron [i]s in a network [i] working together to pro... 

  • Fuzzy logic Fuzzy logic

    Fuzzy logic is derived from fuzzy set theory [i] dealing with reasoning that is approximate ra ... 



See also

  • Digital image editing Digital image editing

    Digital image editing is the process of altering digital image [i]s, whether they be digital photograph [i] ... 

  • Digital image processing
  • Computer graphics
  • 2D computer graphics 2D computer graphics

    2D computer graphics is the computer [i]-based generation of digital image [i]s—mostly from two-di ... 

  • Computer vision Computer vision

    Computer vision is the science and technology of machines that see.

... 


  • GPGPU
  • optics Optics

    Optics is a branch of physics [i] that describes the behavior and properties of light [i] and the inter ... 

  • photography Photography

    Photography is the process of making pictures by means of the action of light.... 

  • Photo manipulation Photo manipulation

    Photo manipulation is the technique of modifying a photographic image [i] by either analog or ... 

  • imaging
  • digitizing
  • super-resolution
  • image differencing
  • image stabilization
  • matte
  • standard test image Standard test image

    In order to intuitively test the effects of an image-processing algorithm on a "natural picture" a number of '... 

  • OpenCV

References

  1. Fundamentals of Image Processing by Ian T. Young, Jan J. Gerbrands, Lucas J. Van Vliet, Paperback, ISBN 90 75691 01 7
  2. Image Analysis and Mathematical Morphology by Jean Serra, ISBN 0 12 637242 3
  3. Image Analysis and Mathematical Morphology, Volume 2: Theoretical Advances by Jean Serra, ISBN 0 12 637241 1
  4. Front-End Vision and Multi-Scale Image Analysis by Bart M. ter Haar Romeny, Paperback, ISBN 1 4020 1507 0
  5. Geometry-Driven Diffusion in Computer Vision by Bart M. ter Haar Romeny , ISBN 0 7293 3087 0
  6. Digital Image Processing by Rafael C. Gonzalez, Richard E. Woods, ISBN 0 201 50803 6
  7. Digital Image Processing by William K. Pratt, Paperback, ISBN 0 471 01888 0

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