Practical Applications of Scikit-image in Data Science

Harshita Aswani
2 min readAug 17, 2023

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Image processing and computer vision tasks play a crucial role in various domains, including healthcare, robotics, and security. Scikit-image, a popular Python library, provides a comprehensive set of tools for image processing, manipulation, and analysis. In this blog post, we will explore the practical applications of scikit-image and demonstrate its usage through code examples.

Image Filtering and Enhancement

Scikit-image offers a wide range of image filtering and enhancement techniques to improve the quality and clarity of images. Whether it’s reducing noise, sharpening edges, or enhancing contrast, scikit-image has you covered. Here’s an example of applying a median filter and histogram equalization to an image:

from skimage import io, filters, exposure

# Load an image
image = io.imread('image.jpg')

# Apply median filter to reduce noise
filtered_image = filters.median(image)

# Apply histogram equalization for contrast enhancement
enhanced_image = exposure.equalize_hist(filtered_image)

# Display the original and enhanced images
io.imshow_collection([image, enhanced_image])
io.show()

In this example, we use io.imread() to load an image file. We apply a median filter to the image using filters.median() to reduce noise. Next, we enhance the contrast of the filtered image using histogram equalization with exposure.equalize_hist(). Finally, we display the original and enhanced images using io.imshow_collection().

Feature Detection and Extraction

Scikit-image provides several feature detection and extraction algorithms to identify and extract meaningful features from images. These features can be used for tasks such as object recognition, image matching, and motion analysis. Let’s see an example of applying the Harris corner detection algorithm:

from skimage import io, feature

# Load an image
image = io.imread('image.jpg')

# Apply Harris corner detection
corner_coords = feature.corner_harris(image)

# Plot the detected corners
io.imshow(image)
plt.plot(corner_coords[:, 1], corner_coords[:, 0], 'r.')
io.show()

In this example, we load an image using io.imread(). We then apply the Harris corner detection algorithm with feature.corner_harris() to identify corners in the image. Finally, we plot the detected corners on the image using io.imshow() and plt.plot().

Image Segmentation

Scikit-image provides various algorithms for image segmentation, which involves dividing an image into meaningful regions. This can be useful for tasks such as object recognition, image annotation, and image-based measurements. Let’s explore an example of applying the Felzenszwalb’s efficient graph-based image segmentation algorithm:

from skimage import io, segmentation

# Load an image
image = io.imread('image.jpg')

# Apply Felzenszwalb's segmentation
segments = segmentation.felzenszwalb(image, scale=100)

# Display the segmented image
io.imshow(segments)
io.show()

In this example, we load an image using io.imread(). We then apply Felzenszwalb's segmentation algorithm with segmentation.felzenszwalb(). The scale parameter controls the size of the segments. Finally, we display the segmented image using io.imshow().

Scikit-image is a powerful library that simplifies image processing and computer vision tasks in Python. In this blog post, we explored the practical applications of scikit-image, including image filtering, enhancement, feature detection, and segmentation. By leveraging the capabilities of scikit-image, you can easily perform complex operations on images, extract meaningful information, and analyze visual data.

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Harshita Aswani

Passionate about unlocking insights from data through advanced analytics. Constantly learning and leveraging technology to solve real-world problems.