Level-set-based image segmentation has been widely used in unsupervised segmentation tasks. Researchers have recently alleviated the influence of image noise on segmentation results by introducing global or local statistics into existing models. Most existing methods are based on the assumption that the distribution of image noise is known or observable. However, real-time images do not meet this assumption. To bridge this gap, we propose a novel level-set-based segmentation method with an unsupervised denoising mechanism. First, a denoising filter is acquired under the unsupervised learning paradigm. Second, the denoising filter is integrated into the level-set framework to separate noise from the noisy image input. Finally, the level-set energy function is minimized to acquire segmentation contours. Extensive experiments demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method when applied to noisy images.

This paper proposes a parameter adaptive hybrid model for image segmentation. The hybrid model combines the global and local information in an image, and provides an automated solution for adjusting the selection of the two weight parameters. Firstly, it combines an improved local model with the global Chan-Vese (CV) model , while the image’s local entropy is used to establish the index for measuring the image’s gray-level information. Parameter adjustment is then performed by the real-time acquisition of the ratio of the different functional energy in a self-adapting model responsive to gray-scale distribution in the image segmentation process. Compared with the traditional linear adjustment model, which is based on trial-and-error, this paper presents a more quantitative and intelligent method for achieving the dynamic nonlinear adjustment of global and local terms. Experiments show that the proposed model achieves fast and accurate segmentation for different types of noisy and non-uniform grayscale images and noise images. Moreover, the method demonstrates high stability and is insensitive to the position of the initial contour.