Rapid underwater target enhancement method based on polarimetric imaging

•The method for implementation of polarization-difference imaging (PDI) is simplified.•The Stokes parameters are used for the realization of PDI.•The modified method is beneficial to rapid imaging. Polarization-difference imaging (PDI) is an effective method for underwater image enhancement. Normally, the key factor of utilizing PDI is the choice of the optimal orthogonal transmission axes of analyzer. This limits the application range and implementation efficiency of PDI. Guided by the theory of PDI and the polarization component analysis of the veiling light, we simplified the implementation of PDI. In the modified method, without the analyzer rotation, the polarization-difference image could be obtained on the basis of the Stokes vector. The experimental results indicate that the contrast obtained by the method presented here is consistent with the contrast obtained by conventional PDI. Besides, the modified method could be beneficial to rapid imaging by combining with the imaging polarimetry.