Image segmentation using local variation

We present a new graph-theoretic approach to the problem of image segmentation. Our method uses local criteria and yet produces results that reflect global properties of the image. We develop a framework that provides specific definitions of what it means for an image to be under- or over-segmented. We then present an efficient algorithm for computing a segmentation that is neither under- nor over-segmented according to these definitions. Our segmentation criterion is based on intensity differences between neighboring pixels. An important characteristic of the approach is that it is able to preserve detail in low-variability regions while ignoring detail in high-variability regions, which we illustrate with several examples on both real and synthetic images.