Edge Detection in Color Images

Abstract

Edge information is essential in many image analysis and computer vision applications and thus the ability to locate and characterize edges robustly and accurately is an important task. Basic techniques for edge detection in grayscale images are discussed in Chapter 6. Color images contain richer information than grayscale images and it appears natural to assume that edge detection methods based on color should outperform their monochromatic counterparts. For example, locating an edge between two image regions of different hue but similar brightness is difficult with an edge detector that only looks for changes in image intensity. In this chapter, we first look at the use of “ordinary” (i.e., monochromatic) edge detectors for color images and then discuss dedicated detectors that are specifically designed for color images.