An alternate smoothing and stripping algorithm for thinning digital binary patterns

Abstract This paper presents an algorithm for thinning digital binary patterns (skeletonization). The algorithm consists of two phases. The first phase thins the input pattern to unit thickness by alternately smoothing of the pattern and stripping of the contour points. The second phase adjusts the resulting skeleton from phase one so that a medial skeleton can be obtained. The performance of this algorithm is first compared experimentally with recent results of two other research groups and then with nine other skeletonization algorithms proposed by other researchers. Results show that the alternate smoothing and stripping algorithm produces skeletons which are smooth and with least distortion and well-formed than the others.

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