The University of British Columbia

This paper presents a novel rule-based system for thinning. The unique feature that distinguishes our thinning system is that it thins symbols to their central lines. This means that the shape of the symbol is preserved. It also means that the method is rotation invariant. The system has 20 rules in its inference engine. These rules are applied simultaneously to each pixel in the image. Therefore, the system has the advantages of symmetrical thinning and speed. The results show that the system is very efficient in preserving the topology of symbols and letters written in any language.