Detection method for dim small IR targets based on wavelet and higher-order cumulant

Abstract

Detection of low observable small targets from a sequence of InfraRed (IR) images is an important research area for image processing applications, but the difficulties in detecting small targets arise from the fact that they are not easily discernable from the background clutter. In this paper, the author presents a detection method based on Wavelet and Higher-Order Cumulant Filter (WHOCF). Firstly, the proposed method suppresses the background clutter with wavelet filter, then uses a Cumulant-Based Adaptive Filter (CBAF) in the further processing of the wavelet sub-band, which can suppress noise and preserve the candidate targets information effectively, and improve the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) greatly. Finally, a sequence images processing method is used before detection to enhance the performance of the detector. The experimental results with real world image sequences illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.