Moving Objects Extraction by Watershed Algorithm Using Topographic Map with Energy Minimization Term

Abstract

Extraction of semantic moving objects from video sequence is an indispensable tool that benefits newly developed image processing schemes. In the present paper, we propose a new technique that extracts shapes of moving objects by combining SNAKES and Watershed algorithm. The proposed method comprises two steps. In the first step, SNAKES extract contours of moving objects as a result of the minimization of an energy function. In the second step, the conditional Watershed algorithm extracts contours of moving objects from a topographical surface including a new function term. This function term is introduced to improve the estimated contours considering boundaries of moving objects obtained by SNAKES. The efficiency of the proposed approach in moving object extraction is demonstrated through computer simulations.