New filtering technique for the impulsive noise reduction in color images

We present a novel approach to the problem of impulsive noise reduction for color images. The new image-filtering technique is based on the maximization of the similarities between pixels in the filtering window. The method is able to remove the noise component, while adapting itself to the local image structure. In this way, the proposed algorithm eliminates impulsive noise while preserving edges and fine image details. Since the algorithm can be considered as a modification of the vector median filter driven by fuzzy membership functions, it is fast, computationally efficient, and easy to implement. Experimental results indicate that the new method is superior, in terms of performance, to algorithms commonly used for impulsive noise reduction.