Friday, October 24, 2025
HomeLanguagesPython | Thresholding techniques using OpenCV | Set-2 (Adaptive Thresholding)

Python | Thresholding techniques using OpenCV | Set-2 (Adaptive Thresholding)

Prerequisite: Simple Thresholding using OpenCV

In the previous post, Simple Thresholding was explained with different types of thresholding techniques. Another Thresholding technique is Adaptive Thresholding. In Simple Thresholding, a global value of threshold was used which remained constant throughout. So, a constant threshold value won’t help in the case of variable lighting conditions in different areas. Adaptive thresholding is the method where the threshold value is calculated for smaller regions. This leads to different threshold values for different regions with respect to the change in lighting. We use cv2.adaptiveThreshold for this.

Syntax: cv2.adaptiveThreshold(source, maxVal, adaptiveMethod, thresholdType, blocksize, constant)

Parameters:
-> source: Input Image array(Single-channel, 8-bit or floating-point)
-> maxVal: Maximum value that can be assigned to a pixel.
-> adaptiveMethod: Adaptive method decides how threshold value is calculated.

 cv2.ADAPTIVE_THRESH_MEAN_C: Threshold Value = (Mean of the neighbourhood area values – constant value). In other words, it is the mean of the blockSize×blockSize neighborhood of a point minus constant.

cv2.ADAPTIVE_THRESH_GAUSSIAN_C: Threshold Value = (Gaussian-weighted sum of the neighbourhood values – constant value). In other words, it is a weighted sum of the blockSize×blockSize neighborhood of a point minus constant.

-> thresholdType: The type of thresholding to be applied.
-> blockSize: Size of a pixel neighborhood that is used to calculate a threshold value.
-> constant: A constant value that is subtracted from the mean or weighted sum of the neighbourhood pixels.

Below is the Python implementation :




# Python program to illustrate 
# adaptive thresholding type on an image
       
# organizing imports 
import cv2 
import numpy as np 
   
# path to input image is specified and  
# image is loaded with imread command 
image1 = cv2.imread('input1.jpg'
   
# cv2.cvtColor is applied over the
# image input with applied parameters
# to convert the image in grayscale 
img = cv2.cvtColor(image1, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
   
# applying different thresholding 
# techniques on the input image
thresh1 = cv2.adaptiveThreshold(img, 255, cv2.ADAPTIVE_THRESH_MEAN_C,
                                          cv2.THRESH_BINARY, 199, 5)
  
thresh2 = cv2.adaptiveThreshold(img, 255, cv2.ADAPTIVE_THRESH_GAUSSIAN_C,
                                          cv2.THRESH_BINARY, 199, 5)
  
# the window showing output images
# with the corresponding thresholding 
# techniques applied to the input image
cv2.imshow('Adaptive Mean', thresh1)
cv2.imshow('Adaptive Gaussian', thresh2)
  
     
# De-allocate any associated memory usage  
if cv2.waitKey(0) & 0xff == 27
    cv2.destroyAllWindows() 


Input Image:

Output:

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular

Dominic
32361 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Milvus
88 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Nango Kala
6728 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Nicole Veronica
11892 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Nokonwaba Nkukhwana
11954 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Shaida Kate Naidoo
6852 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Ted Musemwa
7113 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Thapelo Manthata
6805 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Umr Jansen
6801 POSTS0 COMMENTS