🚀 go-pugleaf

Stan Reeves writes
> 
> I would like to collect some evidence that image processing is moving more
> and more into the mainstream of consumer electronics.  More specifically,
> I am trying to find information that would motivate a greater emphasis on
> teaching image processing to undergraduates in electrical engineering (if,
> indeed, this is justified).

A timely question. Today we entertained senior engineers from the
Sony group that does the broadcast equipment. (The group does
billions of dollars of business annually - reason #1). One engineer
started discussing image compression techniques with a U.S. scientist
and it was clear that the scientist did not have the full background
to understand tradeoffs in algorithms. I would expect the average
EE to not have the (thorough) background. (Increasing emphasis on
image compression in many aspects of media - reason #2). We are
helping Sony look into non-video applications of new hardware, in
areas of medical imaging, remote sensing, and so on. (Image processing
is estimated to become a $10B business, in all of it's diversity -
reason #3).

Image processing should be a logical follow-on to a solid course on
signal processing. Information theory, transform theory, filter
theory, and such help form the basis for a lot of modern digital
image processing. Add in some geometric techniques, a bit more on
spectral theory, and a few sound application experiments and the
modern EE is ready to get started.