RGB-D image segmentation based on multiple random walkers

Abstract

A novel RGB-D image segmentation algorithm is proposed in this work. This is the first attempt to achieve image segmentation based on the theory of multiple random walkers (MRW). We construct a multi-layer graph, whose nodes are superpixels divided with various parameters. Also, we set an edge weight to be proportional to the similarity of color and depth features between two adjacent nodes. Then, we segment an input RGB-D image by employing MRW simulation. Specifically, we decide the initial probability distribution of agents so that they are far from each other. We then execute the MRW process with the repulsive restarting rule, which makes the agents repel one another and occupy their own exclusive regions. Experimental results show that the proposed MRW image segmentation algorithm provides competitive segmentation performances, as compared with the conventional state-of-the-art algorithms.