Multi-sensor fusion and enhancement using the Retinex image enhancement algorithm

A new approach to sensor fusion and enhancement is presented. The retinex image enhancement algorithm is used to jointly enhance and fuse data from long wave infrared, short wave infrared and visible wavelength sensors. This joint optimization results in fused data which contains more information than any of the individual data streams. This is especially true in turbid weather conditions, where the long wave infrared sensor would conventionally be the only source of usable information. However, the retinex algorithm can be used to pull out the details from the other data streams as well, resulting in greater overall information. The fusion uses the multiscale nature of the algorithm to both enhance and weight the contributions of the different data streams forming a single output data stream.