Open Access

ARTICLE

Robust Reversible Watermarking Technique Based on Improved Polar Harmonic Transform

Muath AlShaikh^*

Cyber Security Department, College of Engineering, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 112612, United Arab Emirates

* Corresponding Author: Muath AlShaikh. Email:

Computer Systems Science and Engineering 2025, 49, 435-453. https://doi.org/10.32604/csse.2025.062432

Received 18 December 2024; Accepted 15 April 2025; Issue published 13 May 2025

Abstract

Many existing watermarking approaches aim to provide a Robust Reversible Data Hiding (RRDH) method. However, most of these approaches degrade under geometric and non-geometric attacks. This paper presents a novel RRDH approach using Polar Harmonic Fourier Moments (PHFMs) and linear interpolation. The primary objective is to enhance the robustness of the embedded watermark and improve the imperceptibility of the watermarked image. The proposed method leverages the high-fidelity and anti-geometric transformation properties of PHFMs. The image is transformed into the frequency domain of RRDH, after which compensation data is embedded using a two-dimensional RDH scheme. Linear interpolation modification is applied to reduce the modifications caused by the embedded data, minimize complexity, and preserve imperceptibility features. As a result, both the robustness and reliability of the embedded data are effectively recovered. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach achieves superior visual quality and strong resistance to geometric transformation attacks. Extensive calculations show that the proposed RRDH method outperforms existing methods. The imperceptibility metrics achieved include a Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 52 dB and a Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) of 0.9990, reflecting high fidelity and minimal degradation in the watermarked image. Additionally, robustness measurements indicate a PSNR of 43 dB, along with reduced computational complexity.

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Keywords

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