A new algorithm for polygonal approximation based on ant colony optimization

In shape analysis a crucial step consists in extracting meaningful features from digital curves. Dominant points are those points with curvature extreme on the curve that can suitably describe the curve both for visual perception and for recognition. In this paper we present a novel method that combines the dominant point detection and the ant colony optimization search. The excellent results have been compared both to works using an optimal search approach and to works based on exact approximation strategy.