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by DrNosferatu 1264 days ago
Done since the mid-1960's :) but, nevertheless, always an interesting read!

This is classical (as in pre-GPU AI/ML) Image Processing. The reference text book in the field, "Digital Image Processing" by Gonzalez et al, shows how to do it: like the pioneers at JPL's Image Processing Laboratory (est. 1965) denoised Mars pictures from the Mariner probes using Frequency Domain methods like the posted article uses - see an example below.

[https://pixelcraft.photo.blog/2021/09/29/the-early-days-of-i...]

2 comments

It's so classical, it can be done without a digital computer at all, using fourier optics! The true fastest fourier transform, done at the speed of light.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier_optics

At the focal plane of a lens, an image is converted into its spatial fourier components. By adding blocking elements at that focal plane (eg. an aperture, or a piece of glass with marker dots), unwanted frequency components can be cut out from the image.

Aha - very nice!

My background with Fourier optics is mostly theoretical and the applications numerical.

Any references (books or online) exist about physical applications, like the one you mention?

Speaking of which, with the advent of AI/ML methods, how are Image Processing and Machine Vision courses taught today at Universities?

- Has Python or other free languages replaced Matlab yet?

- Is Gonzales' course structure still followed somehow?