Using Peano-Hilbert space filling curves for fast bidimensional ensemble EMD realization

Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is a fully unsupervised and data-driven approach to the class of nonlinear and non-stationary signals. A new approach is proposed, namely PHEEMD, to image analysis by using Peano– Hilbert space filling curves to transform 2D data (image) into 1D data, followed by ensemble EMD (EEMD) analysis, i.e., a more robust realization of EMD based on white noise excitation. Tests’ results have shown that PHEEMD exhibits a substantially reduced computational cost compared to other 2D-EMD approaches, preserving, simultaneously, the information lying at the EMD domain; hence, new perspectives for its use in low computational power devices, like portable applications, are feasible.