Efficient Hierarchical Multi-Object Segmentation in Layered Graphs

Abstract

Abstract We propose a novel efficient seed-based method for the multi-object segmentation of images based on graphs, named Hierarchical Layered Oriented Image Foresting Transform (HLOIFT). It uses a tree of the relations between the image objects, with each node in the tree representing an object. Each tree node may contain different individual high-level priors of its corresponding object and defines a weighted digraph, named as layer. The layer graphs are then integrated into a hierarchical graph, considering the hierarchical relations of inclusion and exclusion. A single energy optimization is performed in the hierarchical layered weighted digraph leading to globally optimal results satisfying all the high-level priors. The experimental evaluations of HLOIFT, on medical, natural, and synthetic images, indicate promising results comparable to the related baseline methods that include structural information, but with lower computational complexity. Compared to the hierarchical segmentation by the min-cut/max-flow algorithm, our approach is less restrictive, leading to globally optimal results in more general scenarios, and has a better running time.