Color image segmentation using optimal separators of a histogram

In this paper, a new method for the segmentation of color images is presented. This method searches the optimal separators in a histogram, according to the Helmholtz principle and the Gestalt theory. The algorithm is parameter-free and it uses recursivity to locate all the modes in the histo-ram. Its main advantage is that it is able to obtain just the optimal modes, avoiding the problems of over-segmentation and under-segmentation. The algorithm is applied on the hue, saturation and intensity histograms of the image. As a result, an optimal and accurately segmented image is obtained. In contrast to previous state-of-the-art methods, the suggested approach uses only the image's color histogram to perform segmentation without using spatial information.