ABSTRACT

The ultimate aim in a large number of image processing applications is to extract important
features from image data, from which a description, interpretation, or understanding of the
scene can be provided by the machine. Image processing can be defined as, the processing or
altering an existing image in a desired manner. This system allows the user to take hard copy
of the image using printer routines and allows the user to store screen image into the disk file
using file format (bmp, jpg, gif). Image processing in its general form pertains to the alteration
and analysis of pictorial information. We find instances of image processing occurring all the
time in our daily lives. Probably the most powerful image processing system is the human brain
together with the eye. The system receives, enhances and stores images at enormous rates of
speed. The objective of image processing is to visually enhance or statistically evaluate some
aspect of an image not readily apparent in its original form. The basic principle of image
processing operations carried out will assist us in greater perception and vision but does not
add any information content. This objective is carried out through development and
implementation of processing means necessary to operate upon images.
The recent availability of sophisticated semi conductor digital devices and
compact powerful computers, coupled with advances in image processing algorithms, has
brought digital image processing to the fore front. Digital image processing has a broad
spectrum and applications, such as remote sensing via satellites and other spacecraft image
transmission and storage for business applications, medical processing, radar sonar and
acoustic image processing, robotics and automated inspection of industrial parts.

1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page no

1. Introduction 7

2. Purpose of Image Processing 8

3. Components of Image Processing 9

4. Structure of Image Processing 9

5. Types of Image Processing 10

6. Current Research 11

7. Future scope 12

8. Applications 13

9. Appendices 20

10. Conclusion 21

11. References 22

2
 CHAPTER 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Image processing is a method to convert an image into digital form and perform some
operations on it, in order to get an enhanced image or to extract some useful information from
it. It is a type of signal dispensation in which input is image, like video frame or photograph
and output may be image or characteristics associated with that image. Usually Image
Processing system includes treating images as two dimensional signals while applying already
set signal processing methods to them.

It is among rapidly growing technologies today, with its

applications in various aspects of a business. Image Processing forms core research area within
engineering and computer science disciplines too.

Image processing basically includes the following three steps.

• Importing the image with optical scanner or by digital photography.

• Analyzing and manipulating the image which includes data compression and image
enhancement and spotting patterns that are not to human eyes like satellite
photographs.

Output is the last stage in which result can be altered image or report that is based on image
analysis.

3
1.2 PURPOSE OF IMAGE PROCESSING

The purpose of image processing is divided into 5 groups. They are:

1. Visualization.

Observe the objects that are not visible.

2. Image sharpening and restoration.

To create a better image.

3. Image retrieval.

Seek for the image of interest.

4. Measurement of pattern.

Measures various objects in an image.

5. Image Recognition.

Distinguish the objects in an image.

4
1.3 COMPONENTS OF IMAGE PROCESSING

 Image Sensors

 Image Displays

 Image Processing

 Software (OpenCV, Matlab, CIMG)

 Image Processing Hardware

 Memory

1.4 GENERAL STRUCTURE OF AN IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM

5
1.5 TYPES OF IMAGE PROCESSING

The two types of methods used for Image Processing are Analog and Digital Image
Processing.

Analog Image Processing Digital Image Processing

The analog image processing is applied on analog signals The digital image processing is applied to digital signals that

and it processes only two-dimensional signals. work on analyzing and manipulating the images.

Analog signal is time-varying signals so the images It improves the digital quality of the image and intensity

formed under analog image processing get varied. distribution is perfect in it.

Analog image processing is a slower and costlier process. Digital image processing is a cheaper and fast image storage

and retrieval process.

Analog signal is a real-world but not good quality of It uses good image compression techniques that reduce the

images. amount of data required and produce good quality of images

It is generally continuous and not broken into tiny It uses an image segmentation technique which is used to

components. detect discontinuity which occurs due to a broken connection

path.

Image analysts use various fundamentals of interpretation while using these visual techniques.
The image processing is not just confined to area that has to be studied but on knowledge of
analyst. Association is another important tool in image processing through visual techniques.
So analysts apply a combination of personal knowledge and collateral data to image processing.

Digital Processing techniques help in manipulation of the digital images by using computers.
As raw data from imaging sensors from satellite platform contains deficiencies.To get over
such flaws and to get originality of information, it has to undergo various phases of processing.
The three general phases that all types of data have to undergo while using digital technique
are Pre- processing, enhancement and display, information extraction.

6
 CHAPTER 2

2.1 CURRENT RESEARCH

A wide research is being done in the Image processing technique.

1. Cancer Imaging – Different tools such as PET, MRI, and Computer aided
Detection helps to diagnose and be aware of the tumour.
2. Brain Imaging – Focuses on the normal and abnormal development of brain,
brain ageing and common disease states.
3. Image processing – This research incorporates structural and functional MRI
in neurology, analysis of bone shape and structure, development of functional
imaging tools in oncology, and PET image processing software development.
4. Technology – Development in image technology have formed the requirement
to establish whether new technologies are effective and cost beneficial. This
technology works under the following areas:

· Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee.

· Computer aided detection in mammography.

· Endoscopic ultrasound in staging the oesophageal cancer.

· Magnetic resonance imaging in low back pain.

· Ophthalmic Imaging – This works under two categories:

5. Development of automated software- Analyzes the retinal images to show

early sign of diabetic retinopathy.
6. Development of instrumentation – Concentrates on development of scanning
laser ophthalmoscope.

7
2.2 FUTURE OF IMAGE PROCESSING

We all are in midst of revolution ignited by fast development in computer technology and imaging.
Against common belief, computers are not able to match humans in calculation related to image
processing and analysis. But with increasing sophistication and power of the modern computing,
computation will go beyond conventional, Von Neumann sequential architecture and would
contemplate the optical execution too. Parallel and distributed computing paradigms are anticipated
to improve responses for the image processing results.

The future of image processing will involve scanning the heavens for other intelligent life out in
space. Also new intelligent, digital species created entirely by research scientists in various nations
of the world will include advances in image processing applications. Due to advances in image
processing and related technologies there will be millions and millions of robots in the world in a
few decades time, transforming the way the world is managed. Advances in image processing and
artificial intelligence will involve spoken commands, anticipating the information requirements of
governments, translating languages, recognizing and tracking people and things, diagnosing
medical conditions, performing surgery, reprogramming defects in human DNA, and automatic
driving all forms of transport. With increasing power and sophistication of modern computing, the
concept of computation can go beyond the present limits and in future, image processing
technology will advance and the visual system of man can be replicated. The future trend in remote
sensing will be towards improved sensors that record the same scene in many spectral channels.
Graphics data is becoming increasingly important in image processing applications. The future
image processing applications of satellite based imaging ranges from planetary exploration to
surveillance applications.Using large scale homogeneous cellular arrays of simple circuits to
perform image processing tasks and to demonstrate pattern-forming phenomena is an emerging
topic. The cellular neural network is an implementable alternative to fully connected neural
networks and has evolved into a paradigm for future imaging techniques. The usefulness of this
technique has applications in the areas of silicon retina, pattern formation, etc.

8
 CHAPTER 3

3.1 APPLICATIONS OF IMAGE PROCESSING

1. Computer Vision

2. Face detection

3. Remote sensing

4. Medical image processing

5. Automated sieving procedeures

6. Finger print recognization.

9
1. COMPUTER VISION

Computer vision is the science and technology of machines that see. As a scientific
discipline, computer vision is concerned with the theory for building artificial systems
that obtain information from images. The image data can take many forms, such as a
video sequence, views from multiple cameras, or multi-dimensional data from a
medical scanner. As a technological discipline, computer vision seeks to apply the
theories and models of computer vision to the construction of computer vision
systems. Computer vision can also be described as a complement (but not necessarily
the opposite) of biological vision. In biological vision, the visual perception of
humans and various animals are studied, resulting in models of how these systems
operate in terms of physiological processes. Computer vision, on the other hand,
studies and describes artificial vision system that are implemented in software and/or
hardware. Interdisciplinary exchange between biological and computer vision has
proven increasingly fruitful for both fields.

10
2. FACE DETECTION

Face detection is a computer technology that determines the locations and sizes of
human faces in arbitrary (digital) images. It detects facial features and ignores
anything else, such as buildings, trees and bodies. Face detection can be regarded as
a specific case of object-class detection; In object-class detection, the task is to find
the locations and sizes of all objects in an image that belong to a given class. Face
detection can be regarded as a more general case of face localization; In face
localization, the task is to find the locations and sizes of a known number of faces
(usually one). In face detection, one does not have this additional information.
Examples include upper torsos, pedestrians, and cars. Face detection is used in
biometrics, often as a part of (or together with) a facial recognition system. It is also
used in video surveillance, human computer interface and image database
management. Some recent digital cameras use face detection for autofocus[1]. Also,
face detection is useful for selecting regions of interest in photo slideshows that use
a pan-and-scale Ken Burns effect.

11
3. REMOTE SENSING

Remote sensing is the small or large-scale acquisition of information of an object or

phenomenon, by the use of either recording or real-time sensing device(s) that is not
in physical or intimate contact with the object (such as by way of aircraft, spacecraft,
satellite, buoy, or ship). In practice, remote sensing is the stand-off collection through
the use of a variety of devices for gathering information on a given object or area.
Thus, Earth observation or weather satellite collection platforms, ocean and
atmospheric observing weather buoy platforms, monitoring of a pregnancy via
ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography
(PET), and space probes are all examples of remote sensing. In modern usage, the
term generally refers to the use of imaging sensor technologies including but not
limited to the use of instruments aboard aircraft and spacecraft, and is distinct from
other imaging-related fields such as medical imaging.

12
4. MEDICAL IMAGING

Medical imaging refers to the techniques and processes used to create images of the human
body (or parts thereof) for clinical purposes (medical procedures seeking to reveal, diagnose or
examine disease) or medical science (including the study of normal anatomy and
physiology).As a discipline and in its widest sense, it is part of biological imaging and
incorporates radiology (in the wider sense), radiological sciences, endoscopy, (medical)
thermography, medical photography and microscopy (e.g. for human pathological
investigations). Medical imaging is often perceived to designate the set of techniques that
noninvasively produce images of the internal aspect of the body. In this restricted sense,
medical imaging can be seen as the solution of mathematical inverse problems. This means
that cause (the properties of living tissue) is inferred from effect (the observed signal). In the
case of ultrasonography the probe consists of ultrasonic pressure waves and echoes inside the
tissue show the internal structure. In the case of projection radiography, the probe is X-ray
radiation which is absorbed at different rates in different tissue types such as bone, muscle and
fat.

13
5. AUTOMATED SEIVING PROCEDURES

Sieve size analysis is a well-known and important tool for the characterization of
powders over a wide range of materials and applications. Everything from ground
coffee to abrasive material is priced and sold based on measured sieve fractions, and
many reference methods require the use of sieves. Sieve size analysis is a well-known
and important tool for the characterization of powders over a wide range of materials
and applications. Everything from ground coffee to abrasive material is priced and
sold based on measured sieve fractions, and many reference methods require the use
of sieves. Though sieve size analysis has been around for thousands of years, it is still
in wide use for a number of reasons. First, it is a simple and inexpensive tool. No
complicated sample preparations are needed beyond simply pouring the powder into
the top sieve. Secondly, sieves can test large amounts of powder-literally hundreds of
grams. In contrast, many of the more modern and high-tech particle sizing methods,
like laser light scattering, might ascertain particle size from just micrograms or
milligrams of material. The statistical accuracy of sieve data will therefore be much
better. Finally, sieves directly provide mass-weighted particle size distributions,
something that no other technique can do.

14
6. FINGER-PRINT RECOGNITION

Fingerprint recognition refers to the automated method of identifying or confirming the

identity of an individual based on the comparisson of two fingerprints. Fingerprint
recognition is one of the most well known biometrics, and it is by far the most used
biometric solution for authentication on computerized systems. The reasons for
fingerprint recognition being so popular are the ease of acquisition, established use and
acceptance when compared to other biometrics, and the fact that there are numerous (ten)
sources of this biometric on each individual.

A fingerprint is formed on any opaque surface and is the impression of the friction
ridges on the finger of a human. The matching of two fingerprints is among the most
widely used and most reliable biometric techniques. Fingerprint matching only
considers the obvious features of a fingerprint. A friction ridge is a raised portion of
the epidermis on the digits the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot, consisting of
one or more connected ridge units of friction ridge skin.These are sometimes known
as "epidermal ridges" which are caused by the underlying interface between the
dermal papillae of the dermis and the interpapillary (rete) pegs of the epidermis.

15
4. APPENDICES

4.1 DOCUMENT GLOSSARY

Analogue: Information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity.

Component: A part or element of a larger whole.

Detection: The action or process of identifying the presence of something concealed.

Digital: Relating to, using, or storing data or information in the form of digital signals.

Enhancement: An increase or improvement in quality, value, or extent.

Hardware: Tools, machinery, and other durable equipment.

Memory: The part of a computer in which data or program instructions can be stored for
retrieval.

OpenCV: OpenCV (Open Source Computer Vision Library) is an open source computer vision
and machine learning software library.

Seive Analysis: A sieve analysis is a procedure used to assess the particle size distribution of a
granular material.

16
5. CONCLUSION

Even though human beings are adept at interpreting images there are certain thresholds
beyond which we cannot detect just-noticeable differences in the imagery. For example an
analyst can detect only 8 to 16 shades of gray, even when data is recorded with 256 shades
of gray. Hence , one may not be able to interpret data in the remaining shades of gray. Also
it is necessary to continuously track large amounts of data and its storage is also a problem.
To avoid all these difficulties one shall prefer processing of images by digital computers,
which processes at a much faster rate than human beings do.

Using image processing techniques, we can sharpen the images, contrast to make a
graphic display more useful for display, reduce amount of memory requirement for
storing image in for motion, etc., due to such techniques, image processing is applied
in recognition of images´ as in factory floor quality assurance systems;image
enhancements, as in satellite reconnaissance systems;³image synthesis´ as in law
enforcement suspect identification systems, and image construction´ as in plastic
surgery y design systems.

17
6. REFERENCES

• www.google.com

• www.wikipedia.com

• www.studymafia.org

18