Direct method for restoration of motion-blurred images

We deal with the problem of restoration of images blurred by relative motion between the camera and the object of interest. This problem is common when the imaging system is in moving vehicles or held by human hands, and in robot vision. For correct restoration of the degraded image, it is useful to know the point-spread function (PSF) of the blurring system. We propose a straightforward method to restore motion-blurred images given only the blurred image itself. The method first identifies the PSF of the blur and then uses it to restore the blurred image. The blur identification here is based on the concept that image characteristics along the direction of motion are affected mostly by the blur and are different from the characteristics in other directions. By filtering the blurred image, we emphasize the PSF correlation properties at the expense of those of the original image. Experimental results for image restoration are presented for both synthetic and real motion blur. © 1998 Optical Society of America [S0740-3232(98)01406-9] OCIS codes: 100.3020, 100.0100, 100.2000, 100.1830.