CE
NAME ------------------------------------ ID
1. ABEL ASHENAFI--------------------------------------RCD/2778/2014C
2. ABEL LEGGESE--------------------------------------- RCD/0746/2014C
3. AMANUEL ALEBACHEW--------------------------- RCD/0749/2014C
4. BISRAT BOGE ----------------------------------------RCD/0758/2014C
5. DANIEL HAYLU-------------------------------------- RCD/0761/2014C
6. FITSUM HABTAMU-------------------------------- RCD/0766/2014C
SUBMITTED TO: - Metages Efrem
SUBMITTED DATE: - May 22-05-2025
IMAGE SEGMENTATION
Image segmentation is a key task in the field of computer vision, where the aim is
to break down an image into several meaningful regions or segments. This process
helps to simplify how we represent an image, making it more meaningful and
easier to analyze. Each segment usually represents a different object or a part of an
object, which allows for a more detailed analysis compared to looking at the entire
image as a single entity. This technique plays a vital role in various applications,
including medical imaging, self-driving cars, facial recognition, and object
detection.
There are numerous approaches to image segmentation, ranging from classical
methods based on threshold, edge detection, region growing, and clustering, to
more advanced techniques leveraging machine learning, particularly deep learning
architectures like convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The choice of method
often depends on the specific application, the characteristics of the images being
analyzed, and the desired level of accuracy and detail in the segmentation results.
The importance of image segmentation continues to grow as visual data becomes
increasingly central to technology and research. In medical imaging, for example,
precise segmentation of organs or tumors can assist doctors in diagnosis and
treatment planning. In autonomous vehicles, segmenting the scene into roads,
pedestrians, and obstacles is essential for safe navigation. As machine learning and
computational power advance, image segmentation is becoming more robust, real-
time, and capable of operating in diverse environments, making it a key component
in the future of intelligent systems.
Image Segmentation in Computer Vision
Image segmentation in computer vision refers to the process of partitioning a
digital image into multiple segments or sets of pixels so that each segment
corresponds to a meaningful region, object, or part of an object. Unlike simple
object detection, which outputs bounding boxes around items of interest, image
segmentation provides a pixel-precise understanding of scene content. By
assigning a label to every pixel, segmentation algorithms enable detailed analysis
of shape, size, and spatial relationships within an image, making them
indispensable for tasks where precision is paramount.
Approaches to image segmentation
There are two approaches to segmentation:-
Region-Based Segmentation
Region-Based Segmentation is a family of techniques that partition an image into
regions whose pixels share similar properties such as intensity, color, or texture by
either growing regions from seed points or by recursively splitting and merging
blocks until each region meets a homogeneity criterion. In Region Growing, one or
more seed pixels serve as starting points, and neighboring pixels whose attributes
lie within a threshold of the seed are absorbed into the region. In Region Splitting
& Merging, the image is first subdivided into large blocks, then blocks that are too
heterogeneous are split further, and finally adjacent homogeneous blocks are
merged to form coherent segments.
Edge-Based Segmentation
Edge-Based Segmentation locates object boundaries by detecting sharp changes in
pixel intensity (gradients) and using those edges to delineate regions. Simple
gradient operators like Sobel or Prewitt highlight areas of rapid intensity change by
convolving the image with derivative‐ approximating kernels, while the more
sophisticated Canny Edge Detector applies Gaussian smoothing, gradient
computation, non-maximum suppression, and hysteresis thresholding to produce
clean, thin edges. Detected edge pixels can then be linked into continuous contours,
which serve as the boundaries of segmented objects.
In practice, an industrial quality-control system might apply a Sobel filter to
images of machined parts to reveal grooves or ridges and then threshold the
gradient magnitude to isolate defects. In autonomous driving, Canny-based edge
detection on dash-cam footage helps trace lane markings by producing linked
curves that represent road boundaries. Likewise, in aerial urban planning, edges
detected on rooftop imagery can be traced into polygons that accurately map
building outlines.
TYPES OF IMAGE SEGMENTATION
Image segmentation most common types
1. Semantic segmentation
2. Instance segmentation
3. Panoptic segmentation
1. Semantic segmentation
Semantic segmentation aims to classify each pixel in an image into a predefined set
of categories. The output is a segmentation map where pixels belonging to the
same object class are assigned the same color or label. Importantly, semantic
segmentation does not differentiate between individual instances of the same
object class. For example, in a picture with three cars, all car pixels will be labeled
as "car" without distinguishing them as separate entities. The focus is on "what"
each pixel represents.
2. Instance segmentation
Instance segmentation goes a step further than semantic segmentation by not only
classifying each pixel but also differentiating between individual instances of each
object class. For every detected object, instance segmentation produces a
segmentation mask that outlines its exact boundaries and assigns it a unique ID.
Using the same example of three cars, instance segmentation would identify each
car with its pixel-level mask and a distinct identifier (e.g., "car 1", "car 2", "car 3").
The focus here is on "what" and "where" each distinct object is.
3. Panoptic segmentation
Panoptic segmentation unifies semantic and instance segmentation. It aims to
assign a semantic label to every pixel in the image (like semantic segmentation)
and also provide a unique instance ID for each object instance (like instance
segmentation). Panoptic segmentation typically categorizes image elements into
"things" (countable objects with well-defined shapes, like cars, people) and "stuff"
(amorphous background regions, like sky, road, grass). The goal is to achieve a
comprehensive and coherent scene understanding by labeling every pixel with both
a semantic category and an instance ID where applicable.
CHALLENGES OF IMAGE SEGMENTATION
Image segmentation faces various challenges, such as the difficult task of
achieving detailed accuracy at the pixel level by carefully outlining object
boundaries and identifying instances.
Arises from the diversity and complexity in sizes and shapes of objects in
real world images.
Dealing with scenes where multiple objects coexist, sometimes occluding
each other is complicated, requiring specialized abilities to distinguish
between instances based on semantic context.
Factors like noise, blur, low contrast, and artifacts in the image can
significantly degrade the performance of segmentation algorithms, making it
harder to identify meaningful regions and their boundaries accurately.
