An efficient non-uniformity correction technique for side-scan sonar imagery

Mapping the seabed represents a fundamental task for many applications. A key technology for that goal is Side-Scan Sonar (SSS) imaging, which offers a large operating range and high resolutions. However, SSS often suffers from echo decay due to water absorption, producing undesired intensity non-uniformities in the image. We propose here a new inhomogeneity correction technique for SSS imagery that exploits two-dimensional information to estimate and remove this non-uniformity. Our approach achieves results similar or better than other recent techniques, and it enjoys a great computational efficiency, being a good candidate for a real-time implementation.