Improved single image dehazing using segmentation

In the hazy weather, the image of outdoor scene is degraded by suspended particles. Scattering and absorption hinder scene radiance and bring in environment light into camera. In this work, a novel algorithm is introduced to restore the clear day image by the segmented hazy image. First, the existing visibility restoration model is analyzed and a conclusion is drawn that the model will violate the contrast enhancement constraint in some specific situations. Next, the graph-based image segmentation method is applied to segment the hazed image by choosing the optimal parameter. Then, the transmission maps prior are obtained according to the blackbody theory. After that, a bilateral filter is designed to amend the transmission map, which can make up the deficiency of restoration model and ensure the transmission map smooth under the contrast enhancement constraint. Last, the experimental results show that the method achieves rather good dehazing results.