Systems and methods of image processing and shrinkage evaluation

An image evaluation system, comprising:

• a plurality of camera systems distributed about a retail facility and each of the plurality of camera systems is configured to capture images of items of one or more products of a plurality of products within the retail facility that are accessible and retrievable by customers for purchase;
• and
• an image processing system communicatively coupled with each of the plurality of camera systems, wherein the image processing system is configured to receive multiple images over time from a first camera system of the plurality of camera systems having a location corresponding to a location of a first product to be monitored of the multiple products to be monitored, process each of the multiple images comprising for each image of the multiple images:
• determine, from pixel data for each pixel of at least a first sub-section of the first image, a gradient amplitude and directional component;
• determine a first histogram curve from the gradient amplitudes as a function of the directional component of the pixel data, and identify a first key direction relative to a first maximum accumulation of the gradient amplitudes;
• for the gradient amplitudes, of the pixel data, having a corresponding directional component that is within a first direction threshold of the first key direction, identify a number of local maxima corresponding to the first key direction;
• and
• determine a quantity of items of the first product corresponding to a quantity of the number of local maxima that are each within a threshold distance from another one of the number of local maxima.