Pixel- and region-based image fusion with complex wavelets

A number of pixel-based image fusion algorithms (using averaging, contrast pyramids, the discrete wavelet transform and the dualtree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) to perform fusion) are reviewed and compared with a novel region-based image fusion method which facilitates increased flexibility with the definition of a variety of fusion rules. The DT-CWT method could dissolve an image into simpler data so we could analyze the characteristic which contained within the image and then fused it with other image that had already been decomposed and DT-CWT could reconstruct the image into its original form without losing its original data. The pixel-based and region-based rules are compared to know each of their capability and performance. Region-based methods have a number of advantages over pixel-based methods. These include: the ability to use more intelligent semantic fusion rules; and for regions with certain properties to be attenuated or accentuated.