Development of Sobel Algorithm on FPGA

Abstract

This paper introduces the implementation history of the Sobel algorithm on FPGA. Image edge detection is a basic technique in image processing and has extensive applications in various fields such as industry, medicine, aerospace, and the military. The speed of image processing has always been a challenging problem. The Sobel algorithm combines edge detection and smoothing operators, endowing it with good detection capabilities in many environments. Its capabilities are highly suitable for use in image detection. The Sobel algorithm is based on the spatial gradient of an image. By performing convolution operations on each pixel point, it calculates the gradient magnitude and direction of that point, thereby detecting the edge information in the image. As early as 2010, Zhang Lei and others developed specific algorithm principles and FPGA design architectures to achieve image edge detection. By 2016, Du Zhengcong and Ning Longfei introduced the idea of hardware acceleration and adopted the RAM + FPGA hardware structure to improve the processing speed. They also carried out modular design and modelling with the climbing method. The text also elaborates on the technological development process of the Sobel algorithm on FPGA and so on.