Image Segmentation Using Gray-Scale Morphology and Marker-Controlled Watershed Transformation

Abstract

Segmentation, a new method, for color, gray-scale MR medical images, and aerial images, is proposed. The method is based on gray-scale morphology. Edge detection algorithm includes function edge and marker-controlled watershed segmentation. It features the simple algorithm implemented in MATLAB. The watershed segmentation has been proved to be a powerful and fast technique for both contour detection and region-based segmentation. In principle, watershed segmentation depends on ridges to perform a proper segmentation, a property that is often fulfilled in contour detection where the boundaries of the objects are expressed as ridges. For region-based segmentation, it is possible to convert the edges of the objects into ridges by calculating an edge map of the image. Watershed is normally implemented by region growing, based on a set of markers to avoid oversegmentation.