Image Smoothing and Edge Detection Guided by Stereoscopy

A method of smoothing and edge detection in digitized images involves the use of a Gaussian smoothing filter that is adaptive in the sense that the filter scale varies with the estimated distance between each scene point and the camera. The estimate of distance is obtained via stereoscopy. The method was conceived for a developmental image-processing system that would recognize unexploded ordnance on a military test range. The method can also be used to enhance performance in other edge-detection applications.