Blob detection by relaxation.

A blob is a compact region lighter (or darker) than its background surrounded by a smoothly curved edge. Blobs can be detected using cooperating relaxation processes to enhance their interior and edge probabilities. A discussion of the processes working independently and together is given. The use of a pyramidal relaxation structure, the use of the closedness of contours as an additional information source, and the extension of cooperating relaxation processes to a time sequence of images are also discussed.