Assessment of the spectral quality of fused images using the CIEDE2000 algorithm

Image fusion plays an important role in remote sensing applications where a visual analysis is needed. Because of this, the evaluation of the spectral quality of pan-sharpened images is a fundamental subject to optimize and compare the results of different algorithms. The aim of this paper is to explore the use of distance CIEDE2000 to evaluate the spectral quality of the fused images. To do this, a database containing remote sensing imagery and its fusion products was created. The spectral quality of the imagery on the database was evaluated using both common quantitative indices and CIEDE2000. The results were compared to the qualitative assessment provided by a mean opinion score test.