A skin detection algorithm based on discrete Cosine transform and generalized Gaussian density

In this paper, we propose a highly efficient algorithm to model the human skin color. The underlying algorithm involves generating a discrete Cosine transform (DCT) at each pixel location, using the surrounding points. These DCT coefficients are assumed to follow a generalized Gaussian distribution (GGD). Next, the model parameters are estimated using the maximum-likelihood (ML) criterion applied to a set of training skin samples. Finally, each pixel is classified as skin or the opposite if its likelihood ratio is above some threshold. The experimental results show that our model avoids excessive false detection while still retaining a high degree of correct detection.