Wavelength-adaptive image formation model and geometric classification for defogging unmanned aerial vehicle images

In this paper, we present an image enhancement algorithm based on the wavelength-adaptive image formation model and geometric classification for defogging UAV images. We first generate a labeled image using geometric class-based segmentation. We then generate a modified transmission map based on the wavelength-adaptive image formation model with scattering coefficients in the labeled image. We also estimate the atmospheric light from the modified transmission map instead of simply choosing the brightest pixel. The proposed method can significantly enhance the visibility of foggy UAV images compared with existing monochrome model-based defogging method. The proposed algorithm can enhance the visibility by removing atmospheric degradation factor in airborne images acquired by aerial platforms such as satellite, airplane, and UAV under critical weather conditions such as haze, fog, and smoke.