Is the development of objective image quality assessment methods keeping pace with technological developments?

Abstract

Visual data proliferation with technological innovations is progressively moving forward, bringing automation, digitization, and smartness to various aspects of daily lives. These visual data-dependent technologies need to be assessed during their development to ensure the quality of services. Consequently, when appropriate quality assessment metrics are unavailable, the advancement of image processing technologies is hindered. This preliminary work addresses the disparity between the rapid advancement of image processing-based algorithms and the lag in developing image quality assessment (IQA) methods while briefly discussing future prospects. The shortcomings in IQA development are discussed by broadly categorizing application areas into human visual system (HVS)-based and computer vision-based, while highlighting the trends and necessity of developing application-specific IQA methods. Despite the existence of several emerging IQAs, this preliminary communication indicates significant opportunities for objective IQA developments in both application areas to support technological advancements. Hence, this work can serve academic and industrial communities by providing guidance for expediting IQA developments.