Multi-stage image deblurring method based on deep convolutional neural networks

Due to factors such as relative motion between the imaging device and the target object or out-of-focus optical system, some images may become blurred, severely affecting subsequent image processing tasks. We propose an image deblurring method based on deep convolutional neural networks to recover clear images from blurred ones. The network consists of three structurally similar sub-networks. Each sub-network comprises the multi-scale feature extraction module, single-scale feature extraction module, fast encoding–decoding module, encoding–decoding feature fusion module, and fusion strategy we proposed. The network can extract multi-scale features from input images of different scales, fusing coarse and fine-scale features and ultimately enhancing the clarity of the blurred images. In addition, we introduce the content loss function and frequency reconstruction loss function into the conventional loss function to better measure the quality of deblurred images. Experiments were conducted on the GoPro and HIDE datasets. The HIDE dataset is divided into distant and close-up scenes, allowing for a better evaluation of the generalization ability of deblurring methods in different scenarios. Compared with the existing methods, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves the highest peak signal-to-noise ratio and structural similarity index measure values, resulting in clearer and more natural deblurred images. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm exhibits faster image processing speed and smaller model size. The model performs better in terms of real-time capability.