Grid-Based Low Computation Image Processing Algorithm of Maritime Object Detection for Navigation Aids

Abstract

Several cameras are mounted on navigation aid buoys and these cameras can be used for accident prevention systems by processing the images captured. The currently existing image processing algorithms were originally designed for accident prevention on land—for example, CCTV (closed-circuit television)—which are performance oriented. However, when it comes to ocean-based images, navigation aids are usually located at sea and the cameras must be battery operated, and consequently, the energy efficiency of image processing is a major concern. Therefore, this paper proposed a novel approach to the detection of images in an ocean environment with a significantly lower computation. The new algorithm clustered pixels to grids and dealt with grids using greyscale rather than the particular color values of each pixel. Simulation-based experiments demonstrated that the grid-based algorithm provided five-times faster image processing in order to detect an object and achieved an up to 2.5 higher detection rate when compared with existing algorithms using ocean images.