Automated delineation of tree-rings in X-Ray Computed Tomography images of wood

In this paper, the authors present an original method for the automated recognition of tree-ring limits in X-Ray Computed Tomography images of wood. The method is based on two steps: tree-ring tagging, and tree-ring delineation. The first step is performed by analyzing the radial intensity profiles after locating automatically the pith, and the second step uses active contours which iteratively detect the different tree-rings, from the bark to the pith. In particular, the geometrical constraints included in the active contour algorithm allow getting coherent limits, without break or discontinuity. The method is robust enough to override the main artifact met in dendrology, as for example, nodes or splits and to deal with the very high variability of different tree species.