1. A system for performing any one or more of edge-preserving image sharpening, edge-preserving image smoothing, edge-preserving image dynamic range compression, and edge-aware data interpolation on digital images, the system comprising: a robust smoothing module configured to compute weighted averages of pixel values that gives more weight to pixels that are close in spatial distance and color attributes to the pixel being predicted than to distant pixels with different color attributes, a pixel prediction module coupled to the robust smoothing module and adapted for coupling to a memory storing pixel data representative of a digital image and configured to extract from said image predicted pixel values using robust smoothing, and to store in said memory a respective detail value equal to the difference between respective original and predicted values, a pixel update module coupled to the robust smoothing module and configured to compute approximation values by averaging the respective detail values with original pixel values using robust smoothing, and to store the approximation values, a multi-scale module that runs the prediction and update modules recursively by operating on the approximation values, and a manipulation module that increases or decreases the detail and approximation values depending on their magnitude and depending on whether edge-preserving image sharpening or edge-preserving image smoothing or edge-preserving image dynamic range compression or edge-aware data interpolation is to be performed.