Image fusion algorithm based on orientation information motivated Pulse Coupled Neural Networks

Pulse Coupled Neural Networks (PCNN) is a visual cortex-inspired neural networks and characterized by the global coupling and pulse synchronization of neurons. It has been proven suitable for image processing and successfully employed in image fusion. However, in most PCNN-based fusion algorithms, only single pixel value is input to motivate PCNN neuron. This is not effective enough because humans are often sensitive to features, not only pixel value. In this paper, novel orientation information is considered as features to motivate PCNN. Visual observation and objective performance evaluation criteria demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms typical wavelet-based, lapacian pyramid transform-based and PCNN-based fusion algorithms.