A systolic architecture for image segmentation by adaptive progressive thresholding
K. Vijayan Asari · 1999
A special purpose VLSI architecture for the real time segmentation of endoscopic images is proposed in this paper. The architecture is based on a systolic implementation of a new algorithm named adaptive progressive thresholding (APT) that segments the darkest area of an endoscopic image representing the gastrointestinal lumen. This segmentation process is an extension of the Otsu's method. The progressive approach of thresholding optimizes the threshold for an endoscopic image using an iterative procedure. A condition to converge the iterative procedure is suggested to make the segmentation automatic and adaptive. The APT algorithm is mapped onto a modified linear systolic array of simple processing elements with the elements of a particular segment communicating with its neighbors. The APT architecture is partitioned based on various sequential functions involved in the segmentation process and these functional modules are organized in a pipelined fashion according to their hardware feasibility. Currently, a prototype of the VLSI architecture for an image size of 256×256 is being designed and built. The functional simulation results obtained in the APT architecture are encouraging.