Automatic segmentation method of touching corn kernels in digital image based on improved watershed algorithm

In order to separate touching corn kernels in digital image, this paper made the improvement to the watershed algorithm, this improved method can resolve the problems of `algorithm-over-segmentation´ and `leakage´, and realized automatic segmentation of touching corn kernels. Firstly, in order to get the pretreatment image, Wiener filter and mathematical morphology were adopted to reduce noises and clarify background of the image; secondly, by combining with tow edge detection operators, the boundary of touching corn kernels was determined in the image, which can serve as watershed of the algorithm; thirdly, erode transform was used to construct basin of the algorithm; at last, the algorithm of purifying image background was proposed, solving the problem of `leakage´. The results of experiment showed that the correction rate of segmentation is 94% by this automatic segmentation method.