Contour registration and corresponding point selection for dorsal fin recognition

Boundary descriptors may be used effectively in various image based recognition problems. However, when images are acquired in uncontrolled conditions, changes in pose and illumination complicate the alignment process that must occur prior to comparison. The alignment is further complicated when the objects of interest are characterized by open contours and when distinct feature points are absent. We present an application that employs an iterative approach to the alignment of open contours and suggest a method for selecting corresponding points along a pair of contours for the purpose of determining similarity. We demonstrate the success of this approach in recognizing individual bottlenose dolphins from the profiles of their dorsal fins.