3-D signal processing in a computer vision system (hardwood logs inspection)

The problem of three-dimensional image filtering in a computer vision system that would locate and identify internal structural failure is discussed. In particular, a two-dimensional adaptive filter has been extended to three-dimensions. In conjunction with segmentation and labeling, the filter has been used in the computer vision system to successfully detect potential internal defects in hardwood logs. The issue of efficient computerized tomography (CT) image filtering for suppressing unwanted detail, such as the annual rings, in the CT images of hardwood logs is addressed. By incorporating the three-dimensional correlation information among image pixels, an improved three-dimensional adaptive algorithm for image filtering is presented. Analysis and experiments demonstrate its filtering performance.<>