ABSTRACT

Chapter Overview The important issue of shape representation is covered in this chapter. First, the problem of contour extraction is characterized and respective algorithms are presented, followed by a practical discussion about interpolation of contours (including Ramer’s and the split-and-merge algorithms). The chapter proceeds by introducing the concept and characteristics of digital straight lines and methods for their recognition in digital images, as well as a series of region-based representative concepts and techniques, including the distance transform, Voronoi tessellations, a powerful simple method for multiscale skeletonization and reconstruction, and the principal bounding region approaches.