Edge detection metrics for improved object recognition with underwater laser images
Oladipupo Adeoluwa, Sevgi Zübeyde Gürbüz, Carson Moseley, Anirban S. Swakshar, Patrick Kung, Seongsin M. Kim · 2023
Active illumination with underwater laser imaging has unique advantages for the identification of underwater objects, especially in shallow waters, complex marine environments and inaccessible locations. Laser intensity images embody valuable information that can be utilized for object recognition; however, backscattered light from the water column and other particulates blur the resulting laser images, rendering the objects in the images unintelligible. Although over the years a variety of deblurring and other image restoration and enhancement algorithms have been proposed, these works primarily consider optical images of scenery, not monotone underwater images of objects, for which contours are more critical. This work proposes the utilization of edge metrics to evaluate the efficacy of image restoration and enhancement algorithms for underwater laser images. Our results provide insight into the best methods for improving underwater laser image quality for object recognition.