MSc Communications and Signal Processing

• Introduction to digital image processing: light, cameras and the human visual system; digital systems for image capture and processing.
• Colour representation and encoding: RGB; YUV; HSV.
• The 2D Discrete Fourier Transform and Discrete Cosine Transform.
• Image encoding:  quantization and image compression; relevant standards, e.g. JPEG; H264 and HDTV.
• Basic filtering operations: image smoothing; noise reduction and sharpening.
• Image enhancement: histogram-based equalisation; noise smoothing; edge detection; Hough Transform; morphological  operators (erosion and dilation).
• Applications: Object detection, recognition and tracking; motion estimation and 3-D reconstruction.
• Real-time Implementation: Hardware and software platforms.

The course unit unit aims to:

• Provide a thorough and complete introduction to the subject of modern digital image processing.
• Emphasise the links between the theoretical foundations of the subject and the essentially practical nature of its realisation.
• Encourage and understanding through the use of algorithms and real world examples,
• Provide useful skills through detailed practical laboratories, which explore digital image processing software and hardware.

On successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

ILO 1: Demonstrate a clear and detailed knowledge of the founding principles of digital image processing, and understand how the various fundamental equations both operate and are constructed.

ILO 2: Program and debug existing image processing hardware platforms, and devise, code and test off-line and real-time image processing algorithms, both using PCs and dedicated image processing hardware.

ILO 3: To recognise the different classes of problem in digital image processing, and to decide upon appropriate methodologies in their solution.

ILO 4: Perform literature searching; scientific report writing; use of graphing and presentation packages; project design; team work; use of the Blackboard system discussion forum.

Unseen Written Examination

The form of the examination: 4 questions, answer all questions

Length of examination: 3 hours

Calculators are permitted

The unseen written examination forms 70% of the total unit assessment

Course Work- Laboratories

The number of laboratories: 3

Length of each laboratory: 6 hours

Two of the laboratories are assessed by a lab report

The laboratories form 30% of the total unit mark.

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• Digital image processing by Gonzalez, Rafael C. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008.
• Fundamentals of digital image processing: a practical approach with examples in MATLAB by Solomon, Chris. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
• Fundamentals of digital image processing by Jain, Anil K. Prentice-Hall International, 1989.