A robust algorithm for image principal curve detection

摘要

Principal curves detection is an essential processing in computer vision and pattern recognition with many important applications. In this paper, we present a new method to detect principal curves in complicated feature images. Based on the criteria of the shortest path of curves and directional deviation of paths, principal curves detection is carried out in graph domain. DFS searching scheme is adopted in exploration of a graph network. The motivation of this research is to find road boundaries and house contours from printed map images. Since characters and map symbols often overlap with useful image features, the algorithm of principal curves detection aims to obtain "clean" feature images from the original maps. By extensive experiments, the algorithm has shown good efficiency and robustness with real map images. The technique described in this paper can also be used in other applications, such as in character recognition, to separate characters from other unwanted document components lying on the characters.