Image enhancement for improving visibility and feature recognition

Researchers analyze images in areas such as geology, bat cardiovascular systems and art studies to verify their observations. Some images are hard to study as their details are not vivid; hence there is a need to enhance these images to facilitate their study while preserving their contents. This study is aimed at assisting the researchers in the Cardiovascular Systems Dynamic Laboratory at Texas A&M University by evaluating the importance of Image Enhancement (IE) for improving visibility of features. For this study the images were collected and manipulated using various IE techniques and were shown to the novice researchers who were asked to perform three different tasks. These tasks were representative of the research work conducted in the lab. The techniques that were selected aimed at reducing the problems that are usually associated with data obtained from microscopic feeds. A customized application was developed to expedite and automate the study. The results indicated that the researchers did not immmensely benefit from the improved visualization for easy tasks. However, their performance improved for tasks that required more practice and skill. Our approach contributes towards designing an effective training program for novice researchers in the lab. Moreover, it is promising for similar research in different fields of study.