Image processing for video images of buoy motion

In this paper, image processing technique that reduces video images of buoy motion to yield time series of image coordinates of buoy objects will be investigated. The buoy motion images are noisy due to time-varying brightness as well as non-uniform background illumination. The occurrence of boats, wakes, and wind-induced white caps interferes significantly in recognition of buoy objects. Thus, semiautomated procedures consisting of object recognition and image measurement aspects will be conducted. These offer more satisfactory results than a manual process. Spectral analysis shows that the image coordinates of buoy objects represent wave motion well, indicating its usefulness in the analysis of wave characteristics.