Kontúrjellemzi

Kontúrjellemzi is a Hungarian term used in image analysis and pattern recognition to denote the process or result of characterizing an object primarily by its contour, i.e., by the boundary that encloses it. The word combines kontúr (contour) and jellemzi (defines or characterizes). In practice, kontúrjellemzi refers to using boundary-based features to describe shapes, as opposed to interior texture or color.

Contour-based characterization relies on representations and features derived from the boundary, such as chain codes, polygonal approximations, curvature measures, and Fourier descriptors. These descriptors capture the overall form, allow comparison between shapes, and support tasks like recognition, matching, and classification. They can be applied to two-dimensional images as well as to extracted outlines of biological cells, organs, manufactured parts, or geographic features.

Common advantages include robustness to interior variations and partial occlusion, while challenges include noise in segmentation, sensitivity to scale and rotation, and the need for normalization or invariant descriptors.

Examples: A contour-based method might distinguish circle-like objects from elongated ones by analyzing contour length, curvature distribution, and Fourier coefficients.

Notes: In Hungarian literature, kontúrjellemzi is often discussed under kontúrjellemzés or kontúralapú jellemzés as related terms. See also contour detection, shape descriptor, Fourier descriptor, active contours.