[Welcome one]

ICIP is the premier forum for the presentation of technological advances and research results in the fields of theoretical, experimental, and applied image and video processing. ICIP 2011, the 18th in the series that has been held annually since 1994, brings together leading engineers and scientists in image processing from around the world. As its previous editions ICIP 2011 targets an excellence level by selecting outstanding papers with the aid of an elaborate panel of experts that evaluated the papers. The Technical Program Chairs, Special Session Chairs and Tutorial Chairs supported by many collaborators managed this process while aiming at an acceptance rate of 40%. The three main 2011 themes, human computer interfacing, astronomy and cultural heritage, are reflected in the plenary talks and multiple lecture and poster sessions. This conference also awards best student papers and best papers via a meticulous process involving expert reviewers.