Image fusion algorithm based on spatial frequency-motivated pulse coupled neural networks in Wavelet based contourlet transform domain

This paper proposes a new method for multi-focus image fusion based on PCNN (pulse coupled neural networks) and WBCT (Wavelet based contourlet transform). WBCT is associated with PCNN and is used in image fusion to make full use of the characteristics of them. Spatial high frequency in WBCT domain is input to motivate PCNN. Select high frequency coefficients of the fused image by weighted method of firing times. Experiments are designed to testify the performance of the proposed method. The results show comparing the algorithm of traditional wavelet-based, WBCT-based fusion algorithms, our presented method outperforms existing methods, in both visual effect and objective evaluation criteria, which can exact the edge information of the original images better and can be applied on the detection filed.