Image segmentation by artificial life approach using autonomous agents

In this paper, we propose an image segmentation by artificial life approach using autonomous agents. Each agent moves on the image according to some constant rules as follows; Each agent has features such as color. It moves onto a pixel which has the most similar features. It also puts pheromone on the pixels. The pheromone is based on the idea of chemical substances which have the property of keeping agents away. Each agent searches for the pixel which has smaller amount of pheromone and the most similar features. The locus of each agent becomes a segmented region. The proposed method has the following features: (1) it costs less amount of calculation; (2) it can be applied to a wide variety of images.