Optimal SVD based Robust Watermarking using Differential Evolution Algorithm

Abstract- This paper presents a novel optimal watermarking scheme based on singular value decomposition (SVD) using differential evolution algorithm (DE). The singular values (SVs) of the host image are modified to embed the watermark image by employing multiple scaling factors (SFs). Modifications are optimised using DE to obtain the highest possible robustness without losing the transparency. Experimental results show both the significant improvement in transparency and the robustness under attacks. Index Terms — Differential evolution algorithm, image watermarking, optimization, singular value decomposition. I

SVD and DWT-SVD Domain Robust Watermarking using Differential Evolution Algorithm

This study aims to develop two optimal watermarking techniques based on SVD and DWT-SVD domain for grey-scale images. The first one embeds the watermark by modifying the singular values of the host image with multiple SFs. In the second approach, a hybrid algorithm is proposed based on DWT and SVD. Having decomposed the host image into four bands, SVD is applied to each band. Then, the same watermark is embedded by modifying the singular values of each band with different SFs. Various combinations of SFs are possible, and it is difficult to obtain optimal solutions by trial and error. Thus, in order to achieve the highest possible transparency and robustness, optimization of the scaling factors is necessary. This work employs DE to obtain optimum SFs. DE can search for multiple solutions simultaneously over a wide range, and an optimum solution can be gained by combining the obtained results appropriately. Experimental results of developed techniques show both the significant improvement in transparency and the robustness under attacks. © 2009 Springer Netherlands

Performance evaluation of wavelet SVD-based watermarking schemes for color images

Digital image watermarking techniques have enabled imperceptible information in images to be hidden to ensure the information can be extracted later from those images. For any watermarking scheme, there are four main requirements which are imperceptibility, Robustness, capacity and security. Recently, hybrid Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) based watermarking schemes in the transform domain have significantly gained a lot of attention. This is due to the characteristics of SVD and the wavelet. Most of these schemes were tested under different conditions using grey images only. However, due to the growth of digital technology and the huge use of the colour images, it is important to consider the colour images in the watermarking area. Three different SVD-based image watermarking schemes with different wavelet transforms are selected in this paper to be tested and evaluated for colour images. Two colour models are used to represent the colour images to perform the embedding and the extraction watermarking process to study these colour models’ performances and effectiveness in the watermarking area. These colour models are RGB and YCbCr. All these colour models’ channels are used as an embedding channel and then are evaluated under different attacks types. The experimental results of the selected Wavelet SVD-based watermarking schemes proved that the embedding in the RGB and YCbCr colour channels are achieved high imperceptibility. These colour channels also showed good robustness against different attacks such as cropping, cutting, rotation and JPEG compression