Unsupervised Segmentation of Industrial Images Using Markov Random Field Model

Abstract

We propose a novel approach to investigate and implement unsupervised image content understanding and segmentation of color industrial images like medical imaging, forensic imaging, security and surveillance imaging, biotechnical imaging, biometrics, mineral and mining imaging, material science imaging, and many more. In this particular work, our focus will be on medical images only. The aim is to develop a computer aided diagnosis (CAD) system based on a newly developed Multidimensional Spatially Variant Finite Mixture Model (MSVFMM) using Markov Random Fields (MRF) Model. Unsupervised means automatic discovery of classes or clusters in images rather than generating the class or cluster descriptions from training image sets. The aim of this work is to produce precise segmentation of color medical images on the basis of subtle color and texture variation. Finer segmentation of images has tremendous potential in medical imaging where subtle information related to color and texture is required to analyze the image accurately. In this particular work, we have used CIE-Luv and Daubechies wavelet transforms as color and texture descriptors respectively. Using the combined effect of a CIE-Luv color model and Daubechies transforms, we can segment color medical images precisely in a meaningful manner. The evaluation of the results is done through comparison of the segmentation quality with another similar alternative approach and it is found that the proposed approach is capable of producing more faithful segmentation.