An Adaptive Low-Light Image Enhancement Framework via Metaheuristic-Optimized Inverted Dehazing and Gamma Correction with Global Limits
Low-light image enhancement (LLIE) is a fundamental task in computer vision, required for restoring luminance, contrast, and structural fidelity in images captured under suboptimal lighting environments. This paper introduces an optimization-driven, scene-adaptive LLIE framework, designated as OMIDCPGCGL, which exploits the optical duality between low-light inversion and atmospheric scattering. The proposed methodology transforms low-light inputs into quasi-haze representations through an optical inversion process, followed by structural restoration using an Improved Dark Channel Prior (MIDCP) baseline. To refine the restored output, a Gamma Correction with Global Limits (GCGL) module is integrated as a boundary constraint to mitigate localized over-exposure and preserve chromatic consistency. A core novelty of this framework lies in the deployment of metaheuristic optimization algorithms (MOAs)—specifically the Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO), Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO), and Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA)—to autonomously resolve optimal, image-specific parameter configurations. This search paradigm is guided by perception-driven fitness functions, namely the Patch-based Contrast Quality Index (PCQI) or the Blind/Referenceless Image Spatial Quality Evaluator (BRISQUE). Quantitative and qualitative evaluations across a comprehensive pool of 1092 benchmark images demonstrate that the proposed framework exhibits robust statistical resilience and cross-dataset generalization compared to four state-of-the-art deep learning methods. While data-driven deep learning architectures retain localized superiority under the extreme degradation boundaries of the DARK FACE dataset, the proposed physics-inspired optimization framework achieves the leading overall cross-dataset aggregate ranking (R¯=2.467) across diverse evaluation environments due to its per-image dynamic solution space mapping.