Real-time FPGA-based implementation of the AKAZE algorithm with nonlinear scale space generation using image partitioning

Abstract

The first step in a scale invariant image matching system is scale space generation. Nonlinear scale space generation algorithms such as AKAZE, reduce noise and distortion in different scales while retaining the borders and key-points of the image. An FPGA-based hardware architecture for AKAZE nonlinear scale space generation is proposed to speed up this algorithm for real-time applications. The three contributions of this work are (1) mapping the two passes of the AKAZE algorithm onto a hardware architecture that realizes parallel processing of multiple sections, (2) multi-scale line buffers which can be used for different scales, and (3) a time-sharing mechanism in the memory management unit to process multiple sections of the image in parallel. We propose a time-sharing mechanism for memory management to prevent artifacts as a result of separating the process of image partitioning. We also use approximations in the algorithm to make hardware implementation more efficient while maintaining the repeatability of the detection. A frame rate of 304 frames per second for a 1280 × 768 image resolution is achieved which is favorably faster in comparison with other work.