Enhancing the Embedding Capacity in Line-based Cubism-Like Image

Abstract

Data hiding has wide applications in military areas, especially in covert
communications and in secret keeping. In the existing system data is directly hidden into
cover image and sent to receiver side. When this method is used, it is easy for the hackers
to extract the hidden data. Hence a new type of computer art, called Line-based CubismLike Image, which keeps lines and regions from multiple viewpoints are proposed. Cubism
artists transform a natural scene into geometric form in paintings by breaking up,
analyzing and reassembling objects in the scenes from multiple viewpoints. In this method,
the prominent line segments which are present in the source image are detected and
rearranged to form regions with cubism flavor. Data is hidden during the process of
recoloring the region in the generated art image. By using this technique data hiding is
skillfully done with minimal distortion. This data embedding process is proved to be
reversible, that is, the cover image along with the hidden data can be recovered
successfully. This way of combining art image creation and data hiding, which may be
called aesthetic data hiding, is a new idea of information hiding. Attracted by the art
exhibited by the image, people hopefully will pay no attention to the hidden data in the art
image, and via this camouflage effect, the embedded data can be kept securely or
transmitted securely. This method also suffers from a drawback, that is, the files which are
one third of the size of the cover image can only be embedded. Larger files cannot be
embedded. As an enhancement measure, DCT compression technique is used to compress
those files which are larger in size. Thus by this compression technique, larger files can also
be embedded in the cover image. Gamma correction is also done to enhance the quality of
the cover image.