A Digital Fuzzy Edge Detector for Color Images
This is an incremental improvement for image processing applications, addressing noise and contrast issues in edge detection.
The paper tackled edge detection in low-contrast color images by proposing a fuzzy theory-based architecture combined with the Sobel operator, resulting in an effective method validated through FPGA implementation.
Edge detection is a classic problem in the field of image processing, which lays foundations for other tasks such as image segmentation. Conventionally, this operation is performed using gradient operators such as the Roberts or Sobel operator, which can discover local changes in intensity levels. These operators, however, perform poorly on low contrast images. In this paper, we propose an edge detector architecture for color images based on fuzzy theory and the Sobel operator. First, the R, G and B channels are extracted from an image and enhanced using fuzzy methods, in order to suppress noise and improve the contrast between the background and the objects. The Sobel operator is then applied to each of the channels, which are finally combined into an edge map of the origin image. Experimental results obtained through an FPGA-based implementation have proved the proposed method effective.