Edge and Curve Detection for Visual Scene Analysis

Abstract

Simple sets of parallel operations are described which can be used to detect texture edges, "spots," and "streaks" in digitized pictures. It is shown that, by comparing the outputs of the operations corresponding to (e.g.,) edges of different sizes, one can construct a composite output in which edges between differently textured regions are detected, and isolated objects are also detected, but the objects composing the textures are ignored. Relationships between this class of picture processing operations and the Gestalt psychologists' laws of pictorial pattern organization are also discussed.