Real-time H/W implementation of the approximate discrete Radon transform

The Radon transform (RT) is a widely studied algorithm used to perform image pattern extraction in fields such as computer graphics, medical imagery, and avionics. Real time implementation of the discrete RT (DRT) is extremely difficult due to its use of complex trigonometric functions and O(N³) time complexity, making its use in video applications difficult. A O(N²lgN) approximate discrete (ADRT) has been presented in literature (Brady, 1998) that allows highly parallel computation. This paper presents an architecture that uses the ADRT to create a computation architecture known as the xADRT. Performance analysis indicates that it can achieve a refresh rate of 10 frames per second for use in real time image processing applications.