Adaptive Edge Detection Method for Image Polluted Using Canny Operator and Otsu Threshold Selection

Abstract

In this paper, an adaptive edge detection method (Canny operator and Otsu threshold selection based adaptive edge detection method - COAED) is proposed. The COAED method combines a new hybrid filter with Canny operator to avoid the conflict of Canny operator between noise removing and edge locating, and uses Otsu threshold selection method to determine Dual-threshold of Canny operator adaptively. The new hybrid filter firstly judges whether the pixel is polluted by impulse noise, and then uses a corresponding filter to process the current pixel. A median filter is used if the pixel is thought to be impulse noise; otherwise an improved mean filter is selected to weaken the Gaussian noise. After the image is smoothed by the hybrid filter, a Canny operator with small Gaussian variance is used to extract edge. Because only part of Gaussian noise remains, Canny operator with small Gaussian variance can suppress the noise and preserve the edge effectively. Using the gauge image polluted by hybrid noise as experiment object, the performance of COAED method is evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. Experimental results show that the COAED method is superior to Canny operator.