Neighborhood operation binary image algebra for optical morphological image processing

Abstract

A neighborhood operation binary image algebra (NOBIA) which has only one basic operation is presented and developed. The basic operation of NOBIA is a convolution followed by a nonlinear filtering function and then an intersection operation. The parallel architecture of an optical neighborhood operation digital image processor is designed to efficiently perform the parallel morphological image processing algorithm provided by NOBIA, and the optical implementation hardware of the processor is discussed. Using an incoherent optical convoluter as a three-dimensional free space interconnection device, a smart LCLV as an optical nonlinear device, and a simple optical circuit for intersection operation, an optical hardware is constituted and used to realize the basic operation of NOBIA experimentally. Any image transformation can be performed with this hardware by executing the basic operation repeatedly according to proper iterative programming.