Region-based image fusion using complex wavelets

This paper focuses on a novel region-based image fusion method which facilitates increased flexibility with the definition of a variety of fusion rules. A dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) is used to segment the features of the input images, either jointly or separately, to produce a region map. Characteristics of each region are calculated and a region-based approach is used to fuse the images, region-by-region, in the wavelet domain. This method gives results comparable to pixel-based fusion methods, but despite an increase in complexity, has a number of advantages over such methods. These include: the ability to use more intelligent semantic fusion rules; and for regions with certain properties to be attenuated or accentuated