Image Enhancement Algorithm for Remote Surveillance Using Low Cost Cameras in Unevenly Illuminated Environments

Abstract

The surveillance domain is becoming increasingly popular due to the demand for security and safety. In terms of the data being used, the cameras linked to them play an essential role. However, in poorly lit environments, the acquired image may appear to be underexposed when the camera adjusts itself to the light available in the scene, resulting in a loss of visual information in poorly lit regions. This could result in poor functionality in image based processing, as well as a negative impact on remote surveillance monitoring activities. This study offers a novel algorithm for improving the illumination of scenes that are unevenly lit using a selective pixels processing method to enhance the illumination of the environment. Rather than processing grayscale versions of red,green and blue channels to enhance the image, this approach uses value (v) channel of an HSV image.