Single image defogging with single and multiple hybrid scattering model

Image defogging (IDF) removes influences of fogs from an image to improve its quality. Since defogged images can significantly boost the performance of subsequent processing, IDF has attracted many attentions from the computer vision community. However, existing IDF algorithms are built on the assumption that light is scattered once by a grain. Since such assumption is violated if images are contaminated by dense haze or heavy fog, traditional IDF algorithms often fail in this situation. In this paper, we propose a hybrid image defogging (HIDF) algorithm to overcome this deficiency. In particular, HIDF applies the single scattering physics model (SSPM) to pixels dominated by single scattering of light, and applies the multiple scattering physics model (MSPM) to remaining pixels. To distinguish two types of pixels, HIDF utilizes the optical thickness of corresponding pixels. If optical thickness is smaller than a threshold that determines whether the single scattering or the multiple scattering dominates, HIDF applies the SSPM, and HIDF applies the MSPM otherwise. Experimental results on several popular foggy images demonstrate that HIDF competes with the state-of-the-art algorithms, and show the promise of HIDF for defogging heavily foggy images.