Tips related to MATLAB-based image processing

This blog contains some tips I shared with the students taking my EE465 (undergraduate image processing class). The objective of the lecture is to use circle detection (an elementary image analysis problem) as an example of demonstrating how to make a better use of MATLAB to solve image processing problems:

1. Master the language – enrich your vocabulary, imitate what professionals do, read programming tips whenever free (it is posted at the course website);

2. Know how to search – understand the help topics provided by MATLAB (sometimes Google a topic might be more efficient). These days, you can almost find anything on the internet;

3. Have an attack – understand the known and unknown, devise a plan by divide-and-conquer. If you have not read Polya’s book “How to solve it”. Google the title and at least get some rough ideas about Polya’s problem solving principles;

4. Know how to debug – when something does not work, you need to check whether it is the bug in your implementation or the pitfall in your idea. Debugging MATLAB codes is very convenient now; if you don’t know how to set a break point, google it and learn basic debugging skills today.

5. Under the statistics or psychology. If you are research-oriented, statistics is important to properly interpret the result you have obtained. If you are development-oriented, what you need next is an effective way of presenting your results (e.g., GUI or video). In the business world, good salesman skills are often more important than technical superiority (Windows vs. Unix is the best example).