CAREER: Directional Multiresolution Image Processing: Theory, Algorithms and Applications

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT 0237633 Minh N. Do U of Illinois @ Urbana Champaign The enormous growth of visual information in digital form has produced an urgent need for more powerful and effective image processing applications. At the foundation of many of these image processing tasks is an efficient representation that can capture significant image information using a small description. Recently, it has become evident that the commonly used separable extensions from one-dimensional transforms, such as Fourier and wavelet, are not necessarily best suited for images. There is strong motivation to search for more powerful schemes that can capture the intrinsic geometrical structure that is key in pictorial information. Achieving this step will lead to fundamental advances in a number of areas in image processing. This project involves developing new "true" two-dimensional representations that can deal more effectively with typical images having smooth contours. The focus is on the development of directional and multiresolution image expansions using non-separable filter banks, in much the same way that wavelets were constructed from filter banks. In essence, the investigator pursues non-separable extensions of wavelets and multiresolution techniques so that they can capture the directional information -- an important and unique feature of multidimensional signals. In parallel, newly developed image representations are explored in a variety of applications, where substantial improvements over current methods are expected. The educational part of the project maximizes the benefits of the research results and recent related discoveries through: designing a new course to teach fundamental processing methods that were specially developed for multidimensional signals; developing computational toolboxes and reproducible experiments to train students using these methods proficiently; and exposing students to well-designed projects to gain hands-on experiences.