Multivariate Image Analysis for process monitoring and control

Information from on-line imaging sensors has great potential for the monitoring and control of quality in spatially distributed systems. The major difficulty lies in the efficient extraction of information from the images, information such as the frequencies of occurrence of specific and often subtle features, and their locations in the product or process space. This paper presents an overview of multivariate image analysis methods based on Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Squares for decomposing the highly correlated data present in multi-spectral images. The frequencies of occurrence of certain features in the image, regardless of their spatial locations, can be easily monitored in the space of the principal components. The spatial locations of these features can then be obtained by transposing highlighted pixels from the PC score space into the original image space. In this manner it is possible to easily detect and locate even very subtle features from online imaging sensors for the purpose of statistical process control or feedback control of spatial processes. The concepts and potential of the approach are illustrated using a sequence of LANDSAT satellite multispectral images, depicting a pass over a certain region of the earth’s surface. Potential applications in industrial process monitoring using these methods will be discussed from a variety of areas such as pulp and paper sheet products, lumber and polymer films.