Hierarchical image segmentation based on nearest neighbour region chains

An image segmentation algorithm based on irregular partitions of the image is presented which avoids some of the classical drawbacks of common hierarchical segmentation techniques. A reduced number of hierarchy levels are obtained by applying a new clustering technique at every level using the nearest neighbour criterion. The resulting clusters are connected and no relinking operations are needed. The algorithm has been tested on grey scale images, giving excellent segmentation results and involving a low computational load