GELb 311: Remote Sensing: Image Processing and Analysis

Lecture 01
Digital Image and Image Processing System
 DIGITAL IMAGE

• Digital image produced by electro optical sensors.

• Composed of tiny equal sized square picture elements (pixels) arranged in a two
dimensional matrix.

• With each pixel is associated a number known as digital number (DN) or

brightness value (BV) or grey level which is a record of variation in radiant
energy in discrete form.

• An object reflecting more energy records a higher number for itself on the digital
image and vice-versa.
 DIGITAL IMAGE

• An image is a raster data

• It’s a 2D matrix
• Each unit i.e., pixel is square in shape
• Overall image can be either square or rectangular in
shape.
• If we think about a image which DIGITAL
divided into small equal-sized REPRESENTATION OF
GREY IMAGE
and shaped areas, called picture
elements or pixels, and
representing the brightness of
each area with a numeric value
or digital number (DN).
• The value of a pixel of a digital
image is always going to be a
positive integer value.
• The digital numbers are in the
form of binary digits (or ‘bits’)
which vary form 0 to a selected
power of 2.
• Each bit records an exponent of
power 2 (e.g. 1 bit=21=2). Image type Total number Color
of pixel value Levels
• Maximum number of brightness
levels available depends on the 1-bit image 21=2 0-1
number of bits used in representing 6-bit image 26=64 0-63
the energy recorded.
7-bit image 27=128 0-127
• Thus, if a sensor used 8 bits to
8-bit image 28=256 0-255
record the data, there would be
28=256 digital values available, 16-bit image 216=65536 0-65535
ranging from 0-255; 8-bits is the 24-bit image 224=16777216 0-16777215
most common bit value.
 DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING

• Digital image processing is the manipulation of digital data with the

help of computer hardware and software to produce digital maps in
which specific information has been extracted and highlighted.
• Satellite remote sensing data have been used as basic inputs for the
inventory and mapping of natural resources of earth surface like
forestry, soils, geology a, agriculture and many more.
• Space borne remote sensing data having variety of errors or
distortions that would diminish the accuracy of the information
extracted, which reduce the utility of data.
• In order to have high accuracy, the satellite digital data have to be
manipulated by using image processing techniques.
Digital image processing focuses on two major tasks:

◦ Improvement of pictorial information for human

interpretation
◦ Processing of image data for storage, transmission
and representation for autonomous machine
perception.

Image Processing Image

 DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING

• Major group of functions include

Image acquisition
Preprocessing
Enhancement
Transformation
Classification
WORK FLOW OF
DIGITAL IMAGE
PROCESSING
 PRE-PROCESSING

• Pre-processing functions involve those operations that are required

prior to the main data analysis and extraction of information.
• Radiometric correction
I. De-striping
II. Missing scan line removal
III. Vignetting removal
IV. Random noise removal
• Geometric correction
• Atmospheric correction
 PRE-PROCESSING

Vignetting Problem

Missing scan line error

De-stripping
Noise removal
 IMAGE ENHANCEMENT

• Can be defined as the conversion of the image quality

to a better and more understandable level for feature
extraction.
• Operation to make appearance of image or some
particular features in the image.
• For better interpretation and analysis.
• Important function is increase in tonal contrast.
IMAGE ENHANCEMENT RESULT
 IMAGE TRANSFORMATION

• Image transformation involve combined processing of data from

multiple spectral bands or the manipulation of multiple bands data.
• Certain arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division) are performed to combine and transform the original
bands into new images with better display.
• The arithmetic operations depend upon the requirements or
purpose.
• It involves the combination or transformation of old data/bands in
new data set so that results in to better display or highlight of
certain features.
 IMAGE CLASSIFICATION

• Image classification is the procedure of sorting

pixels into finite number of individual classes or
categories of data, based on their DNs or pixel
values.
• The main objective of Image classification is to
automatically categorize all pixel into different
themes.
 DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEMS

• Processing and manipulation

of digital images are
supported by computer
systems and image
processing software (IPS).
 COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM

• Image Sensor: With reference to sensing, two elements are required to

acquire digital images: a sensor and a digitizer. The sensor that is sensitive to
the energy radiated by the object we wish to image. The second, called a
digitizer, is a device for converting the output of the physical sensing device
into digital form.
• Specialized image processing hardware: usually consists of the digitizer
just mentioned, plus hardware that performs other primitive operations, such
as an arithmetic logic unit (ALU). ALU is used is in averaging images as quickly
as they are digitized, for the purpose of noise reduction. This type of hardware
sometimes is called a front-end subsystem, and its most distinguishing
characteristic is speed in which they process image.
• Computer: in an image processing system is a general-purpose computer and
can range from a PC to a supercomputer. In dedicated applications, some times
specially designed computers are used to achieve a required level of
performance.
• Software: for image processing consists of specialized modules that perform
specific tasks. Among commercial software packages, the most commonly used
include ERDAS, PCI Geomatics, and ENVI.
• Mass storage: capability is a must in image processing applications. Digital
storage for image processing applications falls into three principal categories: (1)
short-term storage for use during processing, (2) on-line storage for relatively
fast recall, and (3) archival storage, characterized by infrequent access.
• Hardcopy devices: used for recording images include laser printers, film
cameras, heat-sensitive devices, inkjet units, and digital units, such as optical and
CD-ROM disks.
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