Water-Related Vision

Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is encompassed by aqueous elements, such as rivers, lakes, and seas. Concurrently, terrestrial imaging contends with the influence of water in the forms of clouds, snow, rain, and fog. Notwithstanding, contemporary machine vision research and application systems predominantly concentrate on visual tasks within aerial and vacuum environments, leaving a dearth of systematic investigation into visual tasks within various aquatic contexts. Water-related vision, emblematic of water-based optical technology in the realm of vision, is committed to dissect⁃ ing the scientific intricacies of light-water interactions and their inter-medium propagation. It also entails intelligent pro⁃ cessing and analysis of visual image signals within aquatic settings. This discipline concurrently addresses engineering and technical intricacies intrinsic to the progression of advanced, intelligent water-related vision apparatus. Embarking from the fundamentally significant scientific query,“What is the reason for the ocean’s blue color?”this paper proffers an exhaustive survey encapsulating the repercussions of seawater’s light absorption, scattering, and attenuation mechanisms upon under⁃ water visual tasks. Furthermore, the current methodologies for the processing and refinement of subaquatic images are sys⁃ tematically examined. Exploiting the optical attributes of water and factors contributing to image degradation, this manu⁃ script underscores our team’s milestones in pioneering indispensable technologies for underwater imaging and image analy⁃ sis. Substantial headway has been achieved in devising underwater observation and analytical apparatus, encompassing the full-ocean-depth ultra-high-definition camera“Haitong,”the full-ocean-depth 3D camera, and the full-ocean-depth high-def⁃ inition video camera. These innovations have distinctly established a comprehensive and methodical proficiency in optical detection within submerged contexts, encompassing variables of color, intensity, polarization, and spectral analysis. This collective endeavor effectively bridges the gap in China’s full-ocean-depth optical detection technology, propelling the prog⁃ ress of exploration and technological innovation within the domain of water-related vision, which offers remarkable applica⁃ tion value and societal advantages. © 2024 Chinese Institute of Electronics. All rights reserved.