Multi-scale Image Segmentation Using MSER and its Application

Abstract

Multi-scale image segmentation is important in many applications such as image stylization and medical diagnosis. This paper proposes a novel segmentation algorithm based on MSER(maximally stable extremal region) which captures multi-scale structure and is stable and efficient. The algorithm collects MSERs and then partitions the image plane by redrawing MSERs in specific order. To denoise and smooth the region boundaries, hierarchical morphological operations are developed. To illustrate effectiveness of the algorithm's multi-scale structure, effects of various types of LOD control are shown for image stylization. The proposed technique achieves this without time-consuming multi-level Gaussian smoothing. The comparisons of segmentation quality and timing efficiency with mean shift-based Edison system are presented.■ keyword :|Image Segmentation|Image Stylization|Morphology|Multi-scale|