Improved HSI color space for color image segmentation

Abstract

We present an interactive, semiautomatic image segmentation method that processes the color information of each pixel as a unit, thus avoiding color information scattering. The color information of every pixel is integrated in the segmented image by an adaptive color similarity function designed for direct color comparisons. The border between the achromatic and chromatic zones in the HSI color model has been transformed in order to improve the quality of the pixels segmentation when their colors are very obscure and very clear. The color integrating technique is direct, simple and computationally inexpensive, and it has also good performance in low chromaticity and low contrast images. It is shown that segmentation accuracy is above 95% as average and that the method is fast. These results are significant when compared to other solutions found in the current literature. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.