Introduction to

Morphological
Operators
Feb 26, 2017 1
 About this lecture
In this lecture we introduce INFORMALLY
the most important operations based on
morphology, just to give you the intuitive
feeling.
In next lectures we will introduce more
formalism and more examples.

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EROSION
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 What We Do Today. 2nd Part
Introduction to Morphological Operators
Used generally on binary images, e.g., background
subtraction results!
Used on gray value images, if viewed as a stack to
binary images.
Good for, e.g.,
Noise removal in background
Removal of holes in foreground / background
Check: www.cee.hw.ac.uk/hipr
 A first Example: Erosion
Erosion is an important morphological
operation

Applied Structuring Element:

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0 0

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0 0 0

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0 0 0 0

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0 0 0 0 1

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0 0 0 0 1 0

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

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 Example for Erosion
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

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 Introduction
Structuring Element
Erosion
Dilation
Opening
Closing
Outlook: Hit-and-miss Operation, Thinning,
Thickening

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 Structuring Element (Kernel)
Structuring Elements can have varying sizes
Usually, element values are 0,1 and none(!)
Structural Elements have an origin
For thinning, other values are possible
Empty spots in the Structuring Elements are dont
cares!

Box

Disc

Examples of stucturing elements

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 Dilation & Erosion
Basic operations
Are dual to each other:
Erosion shrinks foreground, enlarges
Background

Dilation enlarges foreground, shrinks

background

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 Erosion
Erosion is the set of all points in the image, where
the structuring element fits into.
Consider each foreground pixel in the input image
If the structuring element fits in, write a 1 at the
origin of the structuring element!
Simple application of pattern matching
Input:
Binary Image (Gray value)
Structuring Element, containing only 1s!

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 Another example of erosion

White = 0, black = 1, dual property, image as a result of erosion gets darker

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 Erosion on Gray Value Images
View gray value images as a stack of binary
images!

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 Erosion on Gray Value Images

Images get darker!

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 Counting Coins
Counting coins is difficult because they
touch each other!
Solution: Binarization and Erosion
separates them!

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 DILATION

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 Example: Dilation
Dilation is an important morphological
operation

Applied Structuring Element:

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 Dilation
Dilation is the set of all points in the image, where
the structuring element touches the foreground.
Consider each pixel in the input image
If the structuring element touches the foreground
image, write a 1 at the origin of the structuring
element!
Input:
Binary Image
Structuring Element, containing only 1s!!
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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1

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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1 0

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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1 0 1

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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1 0 1 1

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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1 0 1 1 1

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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1 0 1 1 1 1

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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1 0 1 1 1 1 1

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 Example for Dilation
Input image 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

Structuring Element 1 1 1

Output Image 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1

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 Another Dilation Example

Image get lighter, more uniform intensity

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 Dilation on Gray Value Images
View gray value images as a stack of binary
images!

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 Dilation on Gray Value Images

More uniform intensity

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 Edge Detection
Edge Detection
1. Dilate input image
2. Subtract input image from dilated image
3. Edges remain!

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 Opening & Closing
Important operations
Derived from the fundamental operations
Dilatation
Erosion
Usually applied to binary images, but gray
value images are also possible
Opening and closing are dual operations
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 OPENING

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 Opening
Similar to Erosion
Spot and noise removal
Less destructive
Erosion next dilation
the same structuring element for both operations.
Input:
Binary Image
Structuring Element, containing only 1s!

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 Opening
Take the structuring element (SE) and slide it
around inside each foreground region.
All pixels which can be covered by the SE with the SE
being entirely within the foreground region will be
preserved.
All foreground pixels which can not be reached by the
structuring element without lapping over the edge of
the foreground object will be eroded away!
Opening is idempotent: Repeated application has
no further effects!

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 Opening
Structuring element: 3x3 square

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 Opening Example
Opening with a 11 pixel diameter disc

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 Opening Example
3x9 and 9x3 Structuring Element

3*9

9*3

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 Opening on Gray Value Images
5x5 square structuring element

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 Use Opening for Separating
Blobs
Use large structuring element that fits into
the big blobs
Structuring Element: 11 pixel disc

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 CLOSING

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 Closing
Similar to Dilation
Removal of holes
Tends to enlarge regions, shrink background
Closing is defined as a Dilatation, followed by an
Erosion using the same structuring element for both
operations.
Dilation next erosion!
Input:
Binary Image
Structuring Element, containing only 1s!
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 Closing
Take the structuring element (SE) and slide it
around outside each foreground region.
All background pixels which can be covered by the SE
with the SE being entirely within the background
region will be preserved.
All background pixels which can not be reached by the
structuring element without lapping over the edge of
the foreground object will be turned into a foreground.
Opening is idempotent: Repeated application has
no further effects!

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 Closing
Structuring element: 3x3 square

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 Closing Example
Closing operation with a 22 pixel disc
Closes small holes in the foreground

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 Closing Example 1
1. Threshold
2. Closing with disc of size 20

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Thresholded closed 51
 Closing Example 2
Good for further processing: E.g. Skeleton
operation looks better for closed image!

skeleton of skeleton of Thresholded and

Thresholded next closed 52
 Closing Gray Value Images
5x5 square structuring element

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 Opening & Closing
Opening is the dual of closing
i.e. opening the foreground pixels with a
particular structuring element
is equivalent to closing the background
pixels with the same element.

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 HIT and
MISS
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 Hit-and-miss Transform
Used to look for particular patterns of foreground
and background pixels

Very simple object recognition

All other morphological operations can be
derived from it!!
Input:
Binary Image
Structuring Element, containing 0s and 1s!!
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 Hit-and-miss Transform
Example for a Hit-and-miss Structuring Element
Contains 0s, 1s and dont cares.
Usually a 1 at the origin!

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 Hit-and-miss Transform
Similar to Pattern Matching:
If foreground and background pixels in the
structuring element exactly match
foreground and background pixels in the
image, then the pixel underneath the origin
of the structuring element is set to the
foreground color.

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 Corner Detection with Hit-and-
miss Transform
Structuring Elements representing four
corners

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 Corner Detection with Hit-and-
miss Transform
Apply each Structuring Element
Use OR operation to combine the four
results

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 Basic
THINNING
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 Thinning
1. Used to remove selected foreground
pixels from binary images

2. After edge detection, lines are often

thicker than one pixel.

3. Thinning can be used to thin those line to

one pixel width.
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 Definition of Thinning
Let K be a kernel and I be an image

thin I , K I HitAndMiss I , K
with 0-1=0!!
If foreground and background fit the structuring element
exactly, then the pixel at the origin of the SE is set to 0

Note that the value of the SE at the origin is 1 or dont

care!

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 Example Thinning
We use two Hit-and-
miss Transforms

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 Basic
THICKENING
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 Thickening
Used to grow selected regions of
foreground pixels
E.g. applications like approximation of
convex hull

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 Definition Thickening
Let K be a kernel and I be an image

thicken I , K I HitAndMiss I , K
with 1+1=1
If foreground and background match exactly the
SE, then set the pixel at its origin to 1!
Note that the value of the SE at the origin is 0 or
dont care!
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 Example Thickening

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PROBLEMS

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 Problems
1. Consider the images on slide 17! Why are the images getting
darker under erosion? Explain!

2. Consider the images on slide 31! Why are the intensities

becoming more uniform? Explain!

3. Compare Dilatation and Erosion! How are they related?

Verify your answers with Matlab!

4. Apply Erosion and Dilatation for noise removal!

5. Consider slide 38: Remove the artefacts remaining with the

horizontal lines.
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 Problems
6. Derive dilatation and erosion from the
Hit-and-miss transformation

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 Sources Used

Volker Krger & Rune Andersen

University of Aalborg, Esbjerg

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