Superpixel-Based Seamless Image Stitching for UAV Images

Image stitching aims to generate a natural seamless high-resolution panoramic image free of distortions or artifacts as fast as possible. In this article, we propose a new seam cutting strategy based on superpixels for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) image stitching. Explicitly, we decompose the issue into three steps: image registration, seam cutting, and image blending. First, we employ adaptive as-natural-as-possible (AANAP) warps for registration, obtaining two aligned images in the same coordinate system. Then, we propose a novel superpixel-based energy function that integrates color difference, gradient difference, and texture complexity information to search a perceptually optimal seam located in continuous areas with high similarity. We apply the graph cut algorithm to solve the problem and thereby conceal artifacts in the overlapping area. Finally, we utilize a superpixel-based color blending approach to eliminate visible seams and achieve natural color transitions. Experimental results demonstrate that our method can effectively and efficiently realize seamless stitching, and is superior to several state-of-the-art methods in UAV image stitching.