Image segmentation using a texture gradient based watershed transform

P.R. Hill, C.N. Canagarajah, D.R. Bull
2003 IEEE Transactions on Image Processing  
The segmentation of images into meaningful and homogenous regions is a key method for image analysis within applications such as content based retrieval. The watershed transform is a well established tool for the segmentation of images. However, watershed segmentation is often not effective for textured image regions that are perceptually homogeneous. In order to properly segment such regions the concept of the "texture gradient" is now introduced. Texture information and its gradient are
more » ... ted using a novel nondecimated form of a complex wavelet transform. A novel marker location algorithm is subsequently used to locate significant homogeneous textured or non textured regions. A marker driven watershed transform is then used to properly segment the identified regions. The combined algorithm produces effective texture and intensity based segmentation for the application to content based image retrieval. Index Terms-Image edge analysis, image segmentation, image texture analysis, wavelet transforms. He is now a Reader in signal processing at the University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K. Prior to this, he was an RA and Lecturer at Bristol University investigating DSP aspects of mobile radio receivers. His research interests include image and video coding, multiview video compression and synthesis, information fusion, content-based retrieval, and the application of signal processing to audio and medical electronics. He is widely supported in these areas by industry, EU, and the EPSRC. He has published more than 200 papers and two books on mobile multimedia technology. Dr. Canagarajah is a member of the EPSRC Peer Review College. David R. Bull is Professor of signal processing and Head of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department at the University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K. He leads the signal processing activities within the Centre for Communications Research of which he is Deputy Director. He has worked widely in the fields of 1-D and 2-D signal processing and has published over 250 papers, articles, and books.
doi:10.1109/tip.2003.819311 pmid:18244716 fatcat:r7vod6rtxbcrjfl24g6cgjfyue