Maritime Image Stabilization: A Comprehensive Review of Techniques and Challenges

Image stabilization plays a crucial role in providing accurate and reliable visual information for machine vision applications. In maritime applications, such as unmanned ship navigation, where six degrees of freedom (DOF) motion and harsh maritime conditions prevail, the efficacy of image stabilization technology is vital for robust image processing algorithms. This paper offers a comprehensive review of image stabilization techniques tailored for maritime environments, developed over the past two decades. We analyzed a total of 39 research articles on the subject, sourced from Web-of-Science, SCOPUS, and the Engineering Index databases, discussing potential research directions to address the limitations of current image stabilization methods, with special consideration for the unique requirements of ship-borne cameras. It provides an up-to-date overview of the techniques, limitations, and algorithms of ship-borne cameras for maritime applications, identifying current knowledge gaps and areas requiring further research. This review aims to guide the development of new technologies and methods to improve the performance of image stabilization systems in maritime contexts.