GrowCut Image Segmentation

GrowCut Image Segmentation for binary segmentation, implemented in Matlab/C++ with mex

Description

I came across a cute segmentation idea called "GrowCut" [http://graphics.cs.msu.su/en/publications/text/gc2005vk.pdf]. This paper by Vladimir Vezhnevets and Vadim Konouchine presents a very simple idea that has very nice results. I always feel that the simplest ideas are the best!

::Algorithm::

This algorithm is presented as an alternative to graph-cuts. The operation is very simple, and can be thought of with a biological metaphor: Imagine each image pixel is a "cell" of a certain type. These cells can be foreground, background, undefined, or others. As the algorithm proceeds, these cells compete to dominate the image domain. The ability of the cells to spread is related to the image pixel intensity.

The authors give some pseudocode that very concisely describes the algorithm.

<code>
//for every cell p
for all p in image
  //copy previous state
  labels_new = labels;
  strength_new = strength;
  // all neighbors q of p attack
  for all q neighbors
    if(attack_force*strength(q)>strength_new(p))
      labels_new(p) = labels(q)
      strength(p) = strength_new(q)
    end if
  end for
end for
</code>

See more and some experiments here:
http://www.shawnlankton.com/2008/03/growcut-segmentation-in-matlab/

• Required Products: Image Processing Toolbox
• MATLAB release: MATLAB 7.4 (R2007a)
• Other Files: growcut/growcut.m, ; growcut/growcut_test.m, ; growcut/growcutmex.cpp, ; growcut/growcutmex.mexglx, ; growcut/growcutmex.mexmaci, ; growcut/growcutmex.mexw32, ; growcut/labels.png, ; growcut/lotus.png

[priyanka desai]

Can this be used for Video please let me know , thanks in advance

[James Malcolm]

Simple interface and very fast. It's a handy algorithm to have around and makes for a simple quick segmentation method to try.