Image Processing

What is an image?

 An image is two dimensional

function, f(x,y), where x and y are
spatial coordinates, and the
amplitude of f at any pair of
coordinates (x,y) is called the
intensity or grey level of the image
at that point.
Digital Image?
Digital Image Processing
The field of digital image processing refers to processing of
digital images by means of digital computer.

Fundamental steps of digital image processing

Image Acquisition
Image Enhancement
Image Restoration
Image Analysis
Image Reconstruction
Image Compression
Image Acquisition Tools

 Human Eye
 Ordinary Camera
 X-Ray Machine
 Positron Emission Tomography
 Infrared Imaging
 Geophysical Imaging
 Structure of Human Eye

 Spherical in shape with average diameter

approximately 20 mm
 There are three membranes enclose the eye
Cornea and sclera as outer cover
Choroid
Retina
 Iris (pupil) varies in diameter approximately 2 to 8
mm
 Lens
Structure of Human Eye
Light Receptors over Retina
Distribution of Light Receptors over Retina
Image Formation in the Eye
Electromagnetic spectrum
 Colour

The colour that human perceive in an object

is determine by the light reflected from the
object

The body that reflects light which is relatively

balanced in all visible wavelengths appears
white
 Sensors

Sensors are use to

transform illumination
energy into digital
images. Sensors are
three types:

Single Imaging Sensor

Line sensor
Array Sensor
 Single Sensors
To generate a 2-D image using a single sensor, there has to be
relative displacements in both the x- and y-directions between
the sensor and the area to be imaged.
A film negative is mounted onto a
drum whose mechanical rotation
provides displacement in one
dimension. The single sensor is
mounted on a lead screw that
provides motion in the
perpendicular direction. Since
mechanical motion can be
controlled with high precision,
this method is an inexpensive
(but slow) way to obtain high-
resolution images.
 Linear Sensor
A geometry that is used much more frequently than single sensors consists of an in-line
arrangement of sensors in the form of a sensor strip. The strip provides imaging elements
in one direction. Motion perpendicular to the strip provides imaging in the other direction.

In-line sensors are used routinely in airborne imaging

applications, in which the imaging system is mounted
on an aircraft that flies at a constant altitude and
speed over the geographical area to be imaged.
One-dimensional imaging sensor strips that respond
to various bands of the electromagnetic spectrum
are mounted perpendicular to the direction of flight.
The imaging strip gives one line of an image at a
time, and the motion of the strip completes the other
dimension of a two-dimensional image. Lenses or
other focusing schemes are used to project the area
to be scanned onto the sensors.
 Array Sensor
Numerous electromagnetic and some ultrasonic sensing devices frequently are arranged
in an array format. This arrangement is also found in digital cameras.
The response of each sensor is proportional to the integral of the light energy projected
onto the surface of the sensor, a property that is used in astronomical and other
applications requiring low noise images.

The illumination source reflects the energy

from a scene element and the first function
performed by the imaging system is to
collect the incoming energy and focus it onto
an image plane. If the illumination is light,
the front end of the imaging system is a lens,
which projects the viewed scene onto the
lens focal plane. The sensor array, which is
coincident with the focal plane, produces
outputs proportional to the integral of the
light received at each sensor.
 Image Sampling and Quantization

 The output of most sensors is a continuous voltage

waveform whose amplitude and spatial behavior are
related to the physical phenomenon being sensed.

 To create a digital image, we need to convert the

continuous sensed data into digital form. This
involves two processes: sampling and quantization.
 Sampling and Quantization

 To convert it to digital form, we have to

sample the function in both coordinates and
in amplitude.
 Digitizing the coordinate values is called
sampling.
 Digitizing the amplitude values is called
quantization.
Sampling and Quantization
 Sampling and Quantization

Image before sampling and quantization Result of sampling and quantization

Digital Image?

 When x, y and the amplitude values of f

are finite, discrete quantities, the image is
called digital image
 A digital image is composed of a finite
number of elements, each of which has a
particular location and value. These
elements are referred to as picture
elements, image elements, pels and
pixels.
Pixel values in highlighted region
 Image Size

 This digitization process requires decisions about values for M,

N, and for the number, L, of discrete gray levels allowed for
each pixel. Where M and N, are positive integers. However, due
to processing, storage, and sampling hardware considerations,
the number of gray levels typically is an integer power of 2:
L = 2K

Where k is number of bits require to represent a grey value

 The discrete levels should be equally spaced and that they are
integers in the interval [0, L-1].
 The number, b, of bits required to store a digitized image is
b=M*N*k.
Number of storage bits for various values of N and k
 Resolution

 Spatial Resolution: Spatial resolution is the

smallest detectable detail in an image.

 Grey level Resolution: Gray-level resolution

similarly refers to the smallest detectable
change in gray level.
A 1024*1024, 8-bit image subsampled down to size 32*32 pixels.The number of
allowable gray levels was kept at 256
(a) 1024*1024, 8-bit image. (b) 512*512 image resampled into 1024*1024 pixels by row
and column duplication. (c) through (f) 256*256, 128*128, 64*64, and 32*32 images
resampled into 1024*1024 pixels.
(a) 452*374, 256-level image (b)–(d) Image displayed in 128, 64, and 32 gray
levels, while keeping the spatial resolution constant.