Task-directed evaluation of image segmentation methods

In the image processing literature many methods to segment 2D and 3D images have been presented. However, relatively little effort has been spent on the validation of the results of these methods. The goal of the paper is to explore a validation methodology that is based on developing a task-directed quality norm that can be used as a constraint in cost analysis. In this methodology a segmentation method is evaluated by the cost reduction it provides relative to the cost of a full-interactive (manual) segmentation. This cost is constrained by a quality threshold, so that less-than-perfect segmentations are allowed. In this way segmentation methods can be compared, which are designed for the same task, but are different of nature