2008 International Conference on Intelligent Computation Technology and Automation
A new image fusion algorithm based on Fuzzy Logic
Zhu Mengyu
Department of Electronic Engineering,
School of Information Science and
Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology，
Beijing, P.R. China, 100081
E-mail: zmy@bit.edu.cn
Abstract
An image fusion algorithm is presented based on
fuzzy logic and wavelet in this paper. Aiming at the
visible and infrared image fusion, we analyze the pixel-
level image fusion algorithms, and addresses an
algorithm based on the discrete wavelet transform and
fuzzy logic. We created two fuzzy relations, and
estimated the importance of every wavelet coefficient
with fuzzy reasoning. According to the importance of
coefficients, the weighting average coefficients were
calculated. Ultimately, we reconstructed the fused
image through inverse wavelet transform. In the
experimental section, we verified the effectiveness of
the algorithm with two actual image data acquired
from the field experiments.
1. Introduction
The concept of Data Fusion was presented for
military fields in the 1970s [1]. In order to get the best
operational results, the new weapon systems usually
use many sensors. The idea of data fusion is widely
used in image processing. There are many fusion
approaches in the multi-source images fusion. The
image fusion methods are divided into three levels:
pixel, feature and decision level.
The main purpose of the pixel-level image fusion is
to enhance the quality of images. Some scholars have
studied pixel-level image fusion issues, such as P.J.
Burt and R.J. Kolczynski [2] presented a weighted
average algorithm based on the match and salience
measures. Their algorithm improves the signal-to-noise
ratio, but deteriorates the contrast. Many scholars are
carrying the further study on this algorithm.
In this paper, we studied the pixel-level images
fusion of visible and infrared image, and a new
algorithm based on the wavelet and the fuzzy logic was
presented.
978-0-7695-3357-5/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/ICICTA.2008.336
Yang Yuliang
Department of Communication Engineering,
School of Information engineering, University
of Science and Technology Beijing，Beijing,
P.R. China, 100083
E-mail: teacheryangustb@126.com
2. The pixel-level image fusion
In the pixel-level image fusion method, the acquired
original image data are directly fused based on pixel by
pixel. The pixel-level fusion can provide the detailed
information that cannot be provided by the other levels
of fusion. And the results still are images, which are
not only more intuitive for human beings, but also
more suitable for further processing.
Vision Enhancement is the core task of the pixel-
level image fusion technology. Multi-source image
fusion does not consider the physical characteristics of
the original image. The purpose of the fusion is to fuse
the same scene of multi-source images into one image.
The commonly used methods include the weighted
average method, selection and the weighted average
combined method.
2.1 The algorithm combined by the selection
and the weighted average method
The selection and the weighted average combined
method, including two modes, i.e. the selection mode
and the weighted average mode. For double-source
data fusion, this method must first determine which
kind of mode to be used. The process of this method is
as follows:
First, the transformation, such as the gradient
pyramid, the contrast pyramid, or wavelet transform,
decomposes the original image data into several sub-
bands.
Second, coefficients X and Y are chosen.
Third, calculate the respective salience σ x and
σy.
Fourth, calculate the match coefficient. For
example, it can be the covariance between X and Y.
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 Fifth, if the match coefficient is larger than the
threshold, one weighted coefficient Wmin is estimated,
and another weighted coefficient is Wmax = 1 − Wmin .
Otherwise the selection mode is chosen, or
Wmin = 0,Wmax = 1 . If σ x > σ y , Wx = Wmax ,
W y = Wmin . Otherwise Wx = Wmin , W y = Wmax .
Sixth, calculate the fused data with
Z = Wx X + W yY .
The final step is an inverse transform using the
processed data, and then the fused image is shown.
The basic idea of the algorithm is to implement the
weighted average or selection in the transformation
domain, then get the fused image with reverse
transform.
3. The fusion algorithm based on wavelet
transform and fuzzy logic
It is difficult to directly fuse multiple source images
in the spatial domain. If the two-dimensional wavelet
is used to decompose the image, we can choose a
different fusion strategy for the different bands based
on their different characteristics.
3.1 The wavelet transform
Wavelet transforms [3] are mathematical functions
that cut up data into different frequency components,
and then study each component with a resolution
matched to its scale. They have advantages over
traditional Fourier transforms in the situations where
the signal contains discontinuities and sharp spikes.
Image processing is the one of the main areas of
wavelet transforms.
We use two-dimensional DWT for image
processing in this paper. Two-dimensional DWT
decomposes a two-dimensional signal at different
scales into the approximation and details of the original
signal.
The results of two-dimensional decomposition are
the raw data, the horizontal, the diagonal and the
vertical detail.
The wavelet coefficients are combined in the
transform domain using a defined fusion rule then
transformed back to the spatial domain to give the
fused image.
3.2 Fuzzy fusion algorithm
Fuzzy sets are sets whose elements have degrees of
membership. Fuzzy sets have been conceived by
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professor Zadeh as an extension of the classical notion
of set. Fuzzy set theory permits the gradual assessment
of the membership of elements in a set; this is
described with a membership function valued in the
real unit interval [0, 1]. Classical sets are special cases
of the membership functions of fuzzy sets, if the latter
only take values 0 or 1.
The application of fuzzy logic is very broad, such as
image processing, control, artificial intelligence and
other fields, and so on.
In our fusion algorithm, DB9/7 biorthogonal
wavelet [4] is used. We deal with four sub-bands with
two different rules. For approximate component, we
average them; for the horizontal, the diagonal and the
vertical detail components, we fuse them with our
fuzzy algorithm.
For every coefficient of the three detail components,
we must estimate their contribution to the fused image.
Consider if "a coefficient is large and the information
entropy of it is large", the coefficient may contribute
more importance to the fused image. We wish to
establish a fuzzy membership function for the
sentence. We begin by recognizing that this sentence is
a composition between two relations "a coefficient is
large, " and "the information entropy of it is large, ".
Then we create membership functions for the relation
"a coefficient is large, " μ 0 ( x) , and "the information
entropy of it is large, " μ1 ( x ) . Finally, using these
membership functions and fuzzy reasoning, we can
create the membership function for sentence, as
μ0∩1 ( x) = min( μ0 ( x), μ1 ( x)) , which represents the
importance of the coefficient to the fused image.
For a coefficient x in a given sub-band A of the first
image, we define a fuzzy membership function
μ 0 ( x)
of the first relation as,
abs( x)
μ 0 ( x) = (1)
max(abs( A))
μ ( x) of the second
Fuzzy membership function 1
relation is defined as,
log 2 ( p( x))
μ1 ( x) = (2)
min (log 2 ( p( y )))
y∈A
where p (x ) means the probability of the
coefficient x in the sub-band A.
Then, we calculate the importance of the coefficient
with fuzzy reasoning as
μ 0∩1 ( x) = min(μ 0 ( x), μ1 ( x)) (3)
For the coefficient y, which has the same spatial
position with the coefficient x, in the sub-band A of the
second image, we can also get the fuzzy membership
functions for two relations μ0 ( y) and
μ1 ( y ) .
We fuse three sub-band coefficients using every
coefficient’s μ 0∩1 ( x ) or μ 0∩1 ( y ) . The fused
coefficient z is calculated as
x ⋅ μ 0∩1 ( x) + y ⋅ μ 0∩1 ( y )
z= (4)
μ 0∩1 ( x) + μ 0∩1 ( y )
After every coefficient has been processed, the
inverse wavelet transform is applied to reconstruct the
fused image.
Figure 3. The fused image
4. The experiment and analysis
Figure 1 shows the original visible image. We can
In this section, we fused a visible image and an see a small plane, whose details are clear. Figure 2
infrared image using our algorithm. These images are shows the original infrared image. From this image, we
acquired from the field experiments. are easy to see the engine of the plane, which is not
notable in Figure 1, but the other details of this image
are poor. We processed two images with our fuzzy
logic algorithm. The fused image is displayed in Figure
3. We can see the windows of the plane, the engine, the
trunk of trees. In one word, this image provides more
information than anyone of the original images.
Table1. The evaluation of images fusion
mean std Gradient Spatial Entropy
frequency
Visible 144.3 46.8 5.6 13.7 7.6
IR 151.2 29.2 5.2 13.3 7.7
Fused 173.8 44.7 7.3 18.2 7.9
Some parameters have been calculated to evaluate
Figure1. The original visible image our fusion algorithm. They are shown in Table 1. The
result shows our fused image has largest gradient [5],
spatial frequency [6] and entropy. The objective
quality of the fused image is satisfied.

Figure 2. The original infrared image
5. Conclusions
We proposed a pixel-level image fusion algorithm
based on fuzzy logic and wavelet in this paper. The
images are processed in wavelet transform domain. We
created two fuzzy relations, and estimated the
importance of every wavelet coefficient with fuzzy
reasoning. According to the importance of coefficients,
the weighting average coefficients were calculated.
Ultimately, the fused images are reconstructed through
inverse wavelet transform.
We also verified the effectiveness of the algorithm
through subjective and objective judgments with two
actual images.

6. References

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[3] S. Mallat, "A theory for multi2resolution signal
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Patterns Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 1989, vol. 11, no.
7, pp. 674-693.
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[4] I. Daubechies, "The wavelet transforms, time-frequency
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[5] J.H. Park, K.O. Kim, Y.K. Yang, "Image Fusion Using
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[6] A. Aldroubi, P. Abry, M. Unser, "Construction of
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