Springs-based simulation for image retargeting

In this paper an efficient method for image retargeting is proposed. It relies onto a mechanical model based on springs network. Each pixel displacement (compression or expansion) is given by the network response, according to the springs stiffness. The properties of the springs are determined as function of the visual relevance of the pixels. Such model does not require any optimization, since its solution is obtained simply from a linear system of equations, allowing real-time application even for large images. The approach is fully automatic, though can be improved by interactively providing cues such as geometric constraints and/or manual relevant object labeling. The results prove that the presented method achieves results comparable or superior to reference methods, while improving efficiency.