A fuzzy edge detector driven telegraph total variation model for image despeckling

Abstract

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>Speckle noise suppression is a challenging and crucial pre-processing stage for higher-level image analysis. In this work, a new attempt has been made using telegraph total variation equation and fuzzy set theory for image despeckling. The intuitionistic fuzzy divergence function has been used to distinguish between edges and noise. To the best of the authors' knowledge, most of the studies on the multiplicative speckle noise removal process focus only on diffusion-based filters, and little attention has been paid to the study of fuzzy set theory. The proposed approach enjoys the benefits of both telegraph total variation equation and fuzzy edge detector, which is robust to noise and preserves image structural details. Moreover, we establish the existence and uniqueness of weak solutions of a regularized version of the present system using the Schauder fixed point theorem. With the proposed technique, despeckling is carried out on natural, real synthetic aperture radar, and real ultrasound images. The experimental results computed by the suggested method are reported, which are found better in terms of noise elimination and detail/edge preservation, concerning the existing approaches.</p>