An infrared and visible image fusion algorithm based on the non-subsampled Contourlet transform（NSCT）is provided.Getting the mean of the low frequency coefficients

choosing the maximum value of the highest level’s coefficients from the high frequency coefficients

applying the local variance maximum principle to other resolution level’s coefficients

the fused image after the inverse transforming the fusion coefficients can be thereby got.The experiment indicates that the fusion algorithm can extract the original image features better.The fused image’s representation capacity in spatial detail information is also improved

via combing the advantages of the multi-resolution

multi-direction and translation invariance of the NSCT.Compared with the traditional fusion algorithms

the fusion algorithm provides better subjective visual effect

and the standard deviation and entropy value would be somewhat increased.