EE-333 Digital Image Processing

Introduction to Digital Image

Processing

Dr Tahir Nawaz
Website: https://www.tahirnawaz.com
Email: tahir.nawaz@ceme.nust.edu.pk
What is Digital Image Processing (DIP)?
• Digital Image
– a two-dimensional representation, f(x,y), of a real image function
– x and y are spatial coordinates
– The amplitude of f is called intensity or gray level at point (x, y)

• Digital Image Processing (DIP)

– process digital images by means of a computer; it covers low-,
mid-, and high-level processing
– low-level: inputs and outputs are images
– mid-level: outputs are attributes extracted from input images
– high-level: an ensemble of recognition of individual objects
Low-, Mid-, and High-level Processing
• Low-level Processing (DIP)
– Input  image
– Output  (an improved form of the same) image
– Image Processing/Enhancement.
– For example noise reduction, contrast enhancement, image
sharpening
Low-, Mid-, and High-level Processing
• Mid-level Processing (DIP and Computer Vision)
– Input  image
– Output  measurements or attributes (edges, contours, object
identity)
– Image Analysis to perform segmentation, classification of objects
Low-, Mid-, and High-level Processing
• High-level Processing (Computer vision)
– Input  image/attributes
– Output  high-level scene description
– Scene Analysis
– For example: activity analysis, scene understanding,
autonomous navigation

Robot Scene
navigation structure
Why image processing?
• Because images and videos are everywhere!
Origins of DIP
• Image sent by submarine cable between London and New York, the
transportation time was reduced to less than three hours from more
than a week
Figure: A digital
picture produced
in 1921 from a
coded tape by a
telegraph printer
Origins of DIP
• The first picture of the moon by a US spacecraft. Ranger 7 took that
image on July 31, 1964 at 9:09 AM, about 17 minutes before
impacting the lunar surface. (Courtesy of NASA).
• The transmitted images were processed by a powerful computer to
correct various types of image distortions
Applications of DIP
• Today there is hardly any technical field not impacted by image
processing

• One of the simplest ways to develop understanding of the extent of

image processing applications is to categorize them based on their
sources

• Imaging sources
– Electromagnetic energy spectrum
– Acoustic
– Ultrasonic
– Electron microscopy
– Synthetic
Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
• EM spectrum divided into 7 groups
• Spectral bands are grouped according to energy per photon
Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
• EM spectrum divided into 7 groups
Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
Gamma Ray Imaging
• Nuclear medicine
– Bone Scan
– Positron Emission Tomography
(PET) Scan
– Single Photon Emission Computed
Tomography (SPECT)
Bone scan PET scan
• Astronomical observation
– Cygnus Loop

Cygnus Loop
Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
X-Ray Imaging

Chest
X-ray
• Medical Diagnosis
– X-rays

boards
Circuit
– Angiography

angiogram
– Computerized Axial

Aortic
Tomography

• Astronomy
– Cygnus Loop

Head CT

Cygnus
scan

Loop
• Industrial Applications
Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
Ultraviolet Imaging
• Fluorescence microscopy, astronomy

Normal corn

Cygnus Loop ‘Smut’ corn

Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
Visible and Infrared Imaging (most widely used!)
• Remote sensing, light microscopy, astronomy, industry law
enforcement
Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
Visible and Infrared Imaging (most widely used!)

Vehicle number plate

recognition

Infrared satellite
image of Americas
Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
Microwave Imaging
• The dominant application of imaging in microwave band is radar

Spaceborne radar image of mountains in southeast Tibet

Electromagnetic energy spectrum imaging
Radio band Imaging
• Medicine, astronomy

MRI images of a human knee (left) and spine (right)

Non-EM energy spectrum imaging
Acoustic imaging
• Geological exploration (oil exploration) – hundreds of Hz sound
waves

Ultrasound imaging
• Industry and medicine especially in obstetrics to determine the
health of the fetal development (1-5 MHz sound waves)

Electron microscopic imaging

• Used to achieve magnification of 10,000x or more

Synthetic imaging
• Computer generated images
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Key stages in DIP
Acknowledgement/References
• Digital Image Processing”, Rafael C. Gonzalez & Richard E. Woods,
Addison-Wesley, 2002
• Statistical Pattern Recognition: A Review – A.K Jain et al., PAMI (22)
2000
• Pattern Recognition and Analysis Course – A.K. Jain, MSU
• “Pattern Classification” by Duda et al., John Wiley & Sons.
• “Machine Vision: Automated Visual Inspection and Robot Vision”,
David Vernon, Prentice Hall, 1991
• www.eu.aibo.com/
• Advances in Human Computer Interaction, Shane Pinder, InTech,
Austria, October 2008
• https://www.cs.nmt.edu/~ip/lectures.html