A Fast Wavelet-Based Algorithm for Global and Local Image Sharpness Estimation

In this letter, we present a simple, yet effective wavelet-based algorithm for estimating both global and local image sharpness (FISH, Fast Image Sharpness). FISH operates by first decomposing the input image via a three-level separable discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Next, the log-energies of the DWT subbands are computed. Finally, a scalar index corresponding to the image's overall sharpness is computed via a weighted average of these log-energies. Testing on several image databases demonstrates that, despite its simplicity, FISH is competitive with the currently best-performing techniques both for sharpness estimation and for no-reference image quality assessment.