Image processing is a broad field, and there are several open research areas that continue to attract attention. One area of ongoing research is image denoising, where the goal is to remove noise from images without losing important details. Traditional methods like median filtering are being replaced by more advanced techniques based on deep learning, such as using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for better results. Another active area is image compression, where researchers are working to find more efficient algorithms that can reduce the size of image files without losing quality. Lossy compression methods like JPEG have been popular, but newer methods like JPEG-XL and WebP are improving in both quality and efficiency. The integration of computer vision with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is another emerging field. Researchers are exploring ways to seamlessly blend digital objects into the real world with minimal latency and maximum realism, requiring advances in both image processing and real-time rendering. Semantic segmentation is a major area of development as well, where the task is to assign a class to each pixel in an image. Techniques such as Fully Convolutional Networks (FCNs) and U-Net have been widely used, but there is ongoing work to improve their ability to generalize to new, unseen environments. Finally, image generation is a hot topic, especially in areas like generative adversarial networks (GANs), where researchers are working on creating realistic synthetic images and enhancing models' ability to generate new content from limited data.
What are the open research areas in image processing?

- AI & Machine Learning
- Mastering Audio AI
- GenAI Ecosystem
- Embedding 101
- Getting Started with Zilliz Cloud
- All learn series →
Recommended AI Learn Series
VectorDB for GenAI Apps
Zilliz Cloud is a managed vector database perfect for building GenAI applications.
Try Zilliz Cloud for FreeKeep Reading
What are graph-based reasoning models?
Graph-based reasoning models are computational frameworks designed to process and analyze data represented as graphs. In
How does serverless impact application architecture design?
Serverless architecture significantly impacts application design by changing how developers approach scalability, resour
How to start a career in computer vision?
To start a career in computer vision, build a strong foundation in programming (e.g., Python) and mathematics (e.g., lin