Image segmentation with fast distance transform (FDT) and morphological skeleton in microalgae Raceway culture systems applications

Image segmentation is an important process in digital image analysis, there are several algorithms to carry out this process. In this work, an algorithm little studied in the segmentation of images is defined and that is also applicable in the processing of videos of biological systems, especially, the cultivation of microalgae in Raceway bioreactors. This algorithm is known as the Fast Distance Transform (FDT) and when operating it with the morphological skeleton, an algorithm capable of determining the number of objects in an image and separating them is generated. With the above, it is possible to give individual monitoring, to describe the behaviour of microalgae inside a Raceway bioreactor.

Keywords: Fast Distance Transform (FDT), morphological skeleton, image segmentation, bioreactor, videos.