Do "image enhancement" functions really enhance X-ray image interpretation?

Abstract

State-of-the art x-ray screening systems offer a variety of socalled "image enhancement" functions (IEFs).Examples are color inversion, edge-enhancement, organic only, metal only etc. IEFs are often promoted because they would bring out detail that is obscured or highlight certain features, such as for example organic content.In this study, we investigated the usefulness of IEFs for cabin baggage screening (CBS) and hold baggage screening (HBS) in airport security.The results showed that the standard image provided the best detection performance.Some IEFs impaired detection performance substantially, which was also dependent on threat type (guns, knives, improvised explosive devices, other threat items).Together with previous work (Klock, 2005), these results highlight the importance of systematically studying the usefulness of IEFs in order to optimize human-computer interaction in x-ray screening.