Nonlinear Vector Filtering for Impulsive Noise Removal from Color Images

In this paper, a comprehensive survey of 48 filters for impulsive noise removal from color images is presented. The filters are formulated using a uniform notation and categorized into 8 families. The performance of these filters is compared on a large set of images that cover a variety of domains using three effectiveness and one efficiency criteria. In order to ensure a fair efficiency comparison, a fast and accurate approximation for the inverse cosine function is introduced. In addition, commonly used distance measures (Minkowski, angular, and directional-distance) are analyzed and evaluated. Finally, suggestions are provided on how to choose a filter given certain requirements.