Footprint image processing expert system with friendly user interface

This paper describes an image processing expert system for images of footprints used in criminal investigations, and user interface with this system. The purpose of this system is to increase the efficiency of footprint image processing through improved footprint image quality and automatic footprint pattern extraction. In footprint image processing, the most difficult issue is to carry through the complex processing sequence brought by the variety of pickup methods depending on the condition of pickup places, various patterns of footprints, noises and so on. Because this system constructs usable processing sequences for input images automatically by using knowledge of the image processing and has friendly user interface, not only police investigators but general police officers can deal with image processing easily. In the pattern extraction, a practical processing sequence for various footprint images is constructed through the simulation over 37 footprint images, and the usefulness of the expert system is ascertained experimentally.