MATLAB Image Thinning and Skeleton Extraction Processing

This text elaborates on how to perform image thinning and skeleton extraction using MATLAB. Thinning is an image processing technique that enhances edge clarity and detail accuracy in digital images. Through thinning processing, subsequent image analysis tasks such as feature extraction and morphological operations become more efficient. The implementation typically involves iterative morphological operations using functions like bwmorph with 'thin' or 'skel' parameters, which apply hit-or-miss transforms to reduce objects to single-pixel wide representations while preserving connectivity. Skeleton extraction helps better understand structural patterns and shapes within images, providing fundamental data for advanced research and applications. For image analysis and processing tasks, thinning serves as a crucial preprocessing step that simplifies complex structures while maintaining topological properties through algorithms like Zhang-Suen or Guo-Hall thinning methods.