Active Contour Using Local Regional Information on Extendable Search Lines (LRES) for Image Segmentation

In this paper, we propose a novel active contour method for image segmentation using a local regional information on extendable search line. We call it the LRES active contour. Our active contour uses the intensity values along a set of search lines that are perpendicular to the contour front. These search lines are used to inform the contour front toward which direction to move in order to find the object's boundary. Unlike other methods, none of these search lines have a predetermined length. Instead, their length increases gradually until a boundary of the object is found. We compare the performance of our LRES active contour to other existing active contours, both edge-based and region-based. The results show that our method provides more desirable segmentation outcomes, particularly on some images where other methods may fail. Not only is our method robust to noise and able to reach into a deep concave shape, it also has a large capture range and performs well in segmenting heterogeneous textured objects.