Enhancement by image-dependent warping

All image warping algorithms to date are image-independent, namely, relate only to the geometry of the image plane, ignoring the content of the image. We show that taking the image content into account yields elaborate warping schemes which may be used to enhance, sharpen and scale images. Sharpening the image is achieved by 'squashing' the pixels in edge areas, and 'stretching' the pixels in flat areas. Since image pixels are only moved, not modified, some drawbacks of classical linear filtering methods are avoided. We also lay the mathematical foundation for the use of an image-dependent warping scheme in traditional warping applications, such as distortion minimization.