Underwater Image Processing: State of the Art of Restoration and Image Enhancement Methods

TLDR

Underwater image processing has attracted significant attention over recent decades, yielding techniques that extend imaging range and enhance contrast and resolution. This review surveys the latest methods specifically designed for underwater imaging. The authors analyze algorithms by first reviewing light propagation physics, then discussing each method’s intended conditions and the quality assessment techniques used to evaluate performance.

Abstract

The underwater image processing area has received considerable attention within the last decades, showing important achievements. In this paper we review some of the most recent methods that have been specifically developed for the underwater environment. These techniques are capable of extending the range of underwater imaging, improving image contrast and resolution. After considering the basic physics of the light propagation in the water medium, we focus on the different algorithms available in the literature. The conditions for which each of them have been originally developed are highlighted as well as the quality assessment methods used to evaluate their performance.