EESM 532 Image and Video Signal Processing

Lecture 1:

What is digital image processing?

Examples and Applications

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Introduction
„ What is Digital Image/Video Processing (DIP/DVP)?

„ Why is it important?

„ What knowledge do you need in order to take this course?

„ What is going to be covered in this course?

„ What textbooks are we going to use?

„ Where to obtain additional information?

„ Course assessment

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
 What is Digital Image/Video Processing?

„ Definition of Image: a 2-D function f(x, y)

„ Definition of Video: a 3-D function f(x, y, t)

„ Digital image/video:
f, x, y, t, are all finite, discrete quantities

„ Digital image/video processing:

involves the use of digital computer

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Computers in Image and Video Processing

Specialized digitization
hardware, front-end noise
averaging, etc.

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
 Importance of DIP/DVP

„ Visual perception is the most important source of

information for human being
– See it once is more than hear it hundred times
(wider bandwidth than any other senses)
„ Spatial structure information in the perception
„ Naturally, capturing such information on a computer
will yield many important applications
„ Relations to other fields:
– Signal processing
– Image analysis/image understanding/computer vision
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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Examples of DIP

„ Space Images (One of earliest DIP applications)

First picture of moon by US

spacecraft (1964)

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
 Examples of DIP
„ Medical Imaging (X-Ray)

X-Ray Head CT Scan

Technique:

• Fire electrons between a heated cathode and an anode in a vacuum tube.

• X-rays released when electrons meet a nucleus.

• Interesting fact: X-rays discovered in 1895 – Nobel Prize in Physics.

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Examples of DIP
„ Medical Imaging (Nuclear – Gamma Ray)

Technique:

• Inject patient with radioactive isotope

• Measure gamma ray emissions

Bone Scan PET

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
 Examples of DIP
„ Medical Imaging (Ultrasound)

Technique:

• Ultrasound system transmits high frequency sound pulses into body

• Sound waves are reflected by tissues in the body, which are measured by a probe

• A machine calculates distance from probe to reflected tissue using speed of sound in tissue and time of return

• Results displayed on a screen 9

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

„ Remote Sensing

Satellite image of
Hurricane Katrina

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
„ Law Enforcement

Fingerprint
identification and
recognition

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

„ Law Enforcement

Face detection and recognition

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
„ Law Enforcement

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

„ Manufacturing

Automated product
inspection and
quality control Defects

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
„ Mining and Robotics (Machine Vision)
Stereo Imaging

Left Camera

Right Camera

Source: Fast and Robust Stereo Matching Algorithms

for Mining Automation, J. Banks, M. Bennamoun,
Bennamoun, and
Corke, Digital Signal Processing, pp. 139-
P. Corke, 139-148, 1999.

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Why Process Images/Videos?

„ Enhancement and restoration
– Remove artifacts and scratches from old photos/videos
– Improve contrast and correct blurry images/videos

„ Transmission and storage

– Images/video from overseas via internet, or from remove planet, transmission over
mobile phone, etc

„ Information analysis and automatic recognition

– Providing “human vision” to machines

„ Security and rights protection

– Encryption and watermarking

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
 Why Digital?
„ Perfect reproduction without degradation (in theory)

„ Convenient and powerful computer-

computer-aided processing
– Can perform sophisticated processing through hardware or software (as we will see)

„ Easy storage and transmission

– Huge capacity of DVDs for storing movies, photos, etc
– Advanced digital compression
– Allows for digital multiplexing and error protection for transmission

„ …

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Useful Knowledge in this Course

„ Linear Algebra: Vectors and matrices
„ Probability: basic distributions, random variables
„ Signals and Systems: Transforms, linear systems,
filtering, sampling
„ Digital Signal Processing
„ If you are not familiar with above knowledge, many useful tools
and tutorials at:

http://www.imageprocessingplace.com/root_files_V3/tutorials.htm

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
 Coverage of This Course
„ Image and video formation
„ Image enhancement and restoration
„ Color perception and applications to image/video processing
„ Image and video compression
„ Motion estimation
„ Image and video standards

„ Extra topics:
– Image and video communications
– Morphological operations
– …
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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Example of Image Enhancement

Original image Image after contrast

enhancement

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
 Example of Image Restoration

Fourier Transform
Original Image
of Original Image

Fourier Transform Image after

after restoration restoration

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering

Example of Image Compression

„ Color image of 600x800 pixels
– Without compression:
„ 600*800*24 bits/pixel = 1.44 MB
– After JPEG compression:
„ Approx 89 KB
„ Compression ratio: 16:1

„ Video: 720x480 per frame,

30 frames/sec, 24 bits/pixel
– Raw video without compression:
„ Approx 243 M bits/sec
– DVD (after compression):
„ Approx 5 M bits/sec
– Compression ratio: 48:1

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
DIP System Example: Face Recognition

„ Refer to Poster

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering