Segmentation Algorithm of Overlapping Elliptical Leaves in Complex Background

【Objective】A segmentation algorithm of overlapping elliptical leaves in a complex background was proposed.【Method】Firstly, the main body of the overlapping leaves and part of the green background was segmented through the super-green algorithm. The body of the overlapping leaves was selected by selecting the maximum connected area. The concave point of overlapping parts and the tips of the leaves were obtained via pit detection and bump detection after removing the petiole. The line defined by the two tips of upper-layer leaf and the edges of the non-overlapping areas of the upper leaf was overturned to the overlapping area as the initial point of the greedy algorithm to find the edge of the overlapping area.The edge of the target leaves could be obtained so that the upper leaves were segmented correctly through smoothing and convex hull processing on the obtained edges. As for overlapping lower leaf, the uncovered area of the lower leaf could be obtained by subtracting the upper blade segmented from the entire overlapping leaf. The complement of the lower leaves could be obtained through inverting half of the lower leaf with the line formed by its tips as the symmetric axis. 【Result】The proposed algorithm can segment elliptical overlapping leaves in a complex background, with the average error rate below 3.0%. 【Conclusion】Aiming at the segmentation of overlapping elliptical leaves in complex background, the greedy algorithm combined with bump detection and pit detection can segment target leaf more accurately, and the average error rate is below 3%, scilicet, the segmentation accuracy is above 97%.