Symmetry incorporated fuzzy c-means method for image segmentation

This paper presents a new modified fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithm that exploits bilateral symmetry information in image data. With the assumption of pixels that are located symmetrically tend to have similar intensity values; we compute the degree of symmetry for each pixel with respect to a global symmetry axis of the image. This information is integrated into the objective function of the standard FCM algorithm. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the approach. The method was further improved using neighbourhood information, and was compared with conventional fuzzy c-means algorithms.