Visibility Restoration in Infra-Red Images

Abstract

For the last decade, single image defogging has been a subject of interest in image processing. In the visible spectrum, fog and haze decrease the visibility of distant objects. Thus, the objective of the visibility restoration is to remove as much as possible the effect of the fog within the image. Infrared sensors are more and more used in automotive and aviation industries but the effect of fog and haze is not restricted to the visible spectrum and also applies in the infrared band. After recalling the effects of fog in the common sub-bands of the infrared spectrum, we tested if the approach used for single image defogging in the visible spectrum might also work for infrared. This led us to propose a new approach of single image defogging for Long-Wavelength Infra-Red (LWIR) or Thermal Infra-Red. Several experiments are presented showing that the proposed algorithm offers interesting results not only for fog and haze but for bad weather conditions in general, during day and night.