Scribd
Upload
37 views6 pages

Image Segmentation

The document discusses various image segmentation approaches, primarily focusing on the similarity and discontinuity methods. It outlines five common techniques: threshold-based, edge-based, region-based, clustering-based, and artificial neural network-based segmentation, detailing their respective methods and applications. The document emphasizes the importance of these techniques in simplifying image representation for analysis in computer vision and image processing.

Uploaded by

tuma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views6 pages

Image Segmentation

The document discusses various image segmentation approaches, primarily focusing on the similarity and discontinuity methods. It outlines five common techniques: threshold-based, edge-based, region-based, clustering-based, and artificial neural network-based segmentation, detailing their respective methods and applications. The document emphasizes the importance of these techniques in simplifying image representation for analysis in computer vision and image processing.

Uploaded by

tuma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Table of Content

 Image Segmentation Approaches


1. Similarity Approach
2. Discontinuity Approach
 Five Common Image Segmentation Techniques
 1. Threshold-Based Segmentation
o Global Thresholding
o Adaptive Thresholding
o Otsu's Method
 2. Edge-Based Image Segmentation
o Sobel Operator
o Canny Edge Detector
o Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG)
 3. Region-Based Image Segmentation
o Region Growing
o Region Splitting and Merging
o Watershed Segmentation
 4. Clustering-Based Image Segmentation
o K-means Clustering
o Mean Shift Clustering
o Fuzzy C-means Clustering
 5. Artificial Neural Network-Based Segmentation
 Conclusion

Image Segmentation Approaches


Image segmentation involves partitioning an image into multiple
segments to simplify its representation and make it more meaningful and
easier to analyze.
Two primary approaches dominate the field of image segmentation:
1. Similarity Approach
2. Discontinuity Approach
Each approach has its methods and applications, tailored to different
types of images and objectives.

Similarity Approach
The similarity approach in image segmentation groups pixels or regions
based on their similar properties. This method assumes that regions with
similar characteristics should be grouped together.
Common techniques in the similarity approach include:
 Thresholding
 Region Growing
 Clustering (e.g., K-means Clustering, Mean Shift Clustering)
 Graph-Based Segmentation (e.g., Normalized Cuts, Min-Cut/Max-Flow)

Discontinuity Approach
The discontinuity approach focuses on detecting and exploiting abrupt
changes in intensity or color to identify boundaries between different
regions. This approach is useful for images where regions are defined by
clear edges.
Common techniques in the discontinuity approach include:
 Edge Detection (e.g., Sobel Operator, Canny Edge Detector)
 Line Detection (e.g., Hough Transform)
 Corner Detection (e.g., Harris Corner Detector)
These approaches and techniques provide the foundation for effectively
segmenting images, making them crucial for various applications in
computer vision and image processing.

Five Common Image Segmentation Techniques


Image segmentation is a crucial technique in computer vision, allowing for
the division of an image into meaningful segments for easier analysis and
interpretation. There are various methods to achieve image segmentation,
each with its strengths and applications.
Here, we explore five common image segmentation techniques: threshold-
based segmentation, edge-based segmentation, region-based
segmentation, clustering-based segmentation, and artificial neural
network-based segmentation.

1. Threshold-Based Segmentation
Threshold-based segmentation is one of the simplest and most
straightforward image segmentation techniques. It involves converting a
grayscale image into a binary image by applying a threshold value. Pixels
with intensity values above the threshold are classified into one category,
while those below the threshold are classified into another.

Global Thresholding
Global thresholding applies a single threshold value to the entire image.
This technique is effective when there is a clear contrast between the
objects of interest and the background. For instance, in a document image,
global thresholding can effectively separate the text from the white
background.

Adaptive Thresholding
Adaptive thresholding, also known as local thresholding, calculates
different threshold values for different regions of the image. This
approach is useful for images with varying lighting conditions, where a
single global threshold would not be effective. Adaptive thresholding
ensures better segmentation by considering the local intensity
distribution of the pixels.

Otsu's Method
Otsu's method is an automatic thresholding technique that determines the
optimal threshold value by minimizing the intra-class variance of the pixel
intensity distribution. It is widely used in scenarios where the histogram
of the image intensity is bimodal, making it a popular choice for medical
imaging and document analysis.

2. Edge-Based Image Segmentation


Edge-based segmentation focuses on identifying the boundaries between
different regions in an image. This technique detects significant changes in
intensity or color, which typically indicate the presence of edges.

Sobel Operator
The Sobel operator is a gradient-based edge detection method that uses
convolution with Sobel kernels to approximate the gradient of the image
intensity. It highlights regions with high spatial frequency, effectively
detecting edges. The Sobel operator is particularly useful for detecting
horizontal and vertical edges.

Canny Edge Detector


The Canny edge detector is a multi-stage algorithm that includes noise
reduction, gradient calculation, non-maximum suppression, and edge
tracking by hysteresis. It is known for its ability to detect a wide range of
edges while minimizing false positives. The Canny edge detector is widely
used in applications requiring precise edge detection, such as object
recognition and medical imaging.

Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG)


The Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) method combines Gaussian smoothing
with the Laplacian operator to detect edges. It involves smoothing the
image to reduce noise and then applying the Laplacian operator to
highlight regions of rapid intensity change. The LoG method is effective in
detecting edges with high accuracy and is commonly used in image
enhancement and feature extraction.
3. Region-Based Image Segmentation
Region-based segmentation groups pixels or regions based on their
similar properties, such as intensity, color, or texture. This approach
assumes that pixels within the same region have similar characteristics.

Region Growing
Region growing starts with a seed point and expands the region by adding
neighboring pixels that have similar properties. The process continues
until no more pixels can be added. Region growing is simple and intuitive,
producing connected regions, but it is sensitive to noise and requires
careful selection of seed points.

Region Splitting and Merging


Region splitting and merging is a hierarchical method that involves
dividing the image into smaller regions and then merging adjacent regions
with similar properties. Initially, the entire image is considered as a single
region. The region is then recursively split until the resulting regions are
homogeneous. Adjacent regions with similar properties are then merged.
This technique is effective in handling complex images with varying
intensity levels.

Watershed Segmentation
Watershed segmentation treats the image as a topographic surface, where
pixel values represent the elevation. It identifies the catchment basins and
ridge lines, segmenting the image into distinct regions. The watershed
algorithm is particularly useful for separating overlapping objects in an
image, making it popular in medical imaging and object detection.

4. Clustering-Based Image Segmentation


Clustering-based segmentation partitions the image into groups (clusters)
of similar pixels. This approach leverages unsupervised learning
techniques to classify pixels based on their features, such as color,
intensity, or texture.

K-means Clustering
K-means clustering partitions pixels into K clusters based on their
features. It iteratively assigns each pixel to the nearest cluster center and
updates the cluster centers to minimize the sum of squared distances
between pixels and their corresponding centers. K-means clustering is
simple and efficient, making it suitable for various applications, including
image compression and color quantization.

Mean Shift Clustering


Mean shift clustering identifies clusters by shifting a window towards
regions of higher density, effectively finding the modes of the data
distribution. Unlike K-means, mean shift does not require the number of
clusters to be specified in advance, making it a flexible and adaptive
technique. It is particularly effective in segmenting images with complex
distributions of pixel values.

Fuzzy C-means Clustering


Fuzzy C-means clustering extends the K-means algorithm by allowing
each pixel to belong to multiple clusters with varying degrees of
membership. This approach is beneficial in handling images with
ambiguous or overlapping regions, providing a more robust segmentation
result. Fuzzy C-means clustering is commonly used in medical imaging
and remote sensing.

5. Artificial Neural Network-Based Segmentation


Artificial neural network-based segmentation leverages the power of deep
learning to achieve high-precision segmentation results. This approach
involves training neural networks on labeled datasets to learn the
complex patterns and features within the images.

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs)


Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are widely used for image
segmentation tasks due to their ability to learn spatial hierarchies of
features. CNN-based models, such as U-Net and SegNet, have shown
remarkable performance in medical imaging, autonomous driving, and
satellite image analysis.

 U-Net : U-Net is a fully convolutional network designed for biomedical


image segmentation. It consists of a contracting path to capture context
and a symmetric expanding path to enable precise localization. U-Net's
architecture allows for the efficient segmentation of high-resolution
images with limited training data.

 SegNet : SegNet is another popular CNN-based model for semantic


segmentation. It employs an encoder-decoder architecture, where the
encoder captures spatial features, and the decoder performs
upsampling to generate pixel-wise segmentations. SegNet is effective in
applications requiring detailed segmentation, such as urban scene
understanding and object detection.

You might also like