Document image binarization is an important step in the document image analysis and recognition pipeline. Therefore, it is imperative to have a benchmarking dataset along with an objective evaluation methodology in order to capture the efficiency of current document image binarization practices. Following the success of DIBCO 2009 organised in conjunction with ICDAR’09, the follow-up of this contest is organized in conjunction with ICFHR 2010. In H-DIBCO 2010 (Handwritten Document Image Binarization Contest), the general objective is to record recent advances in handwritten document image binarization using established evaluation performance measures. We will create a benchmarking dataset that is representative of the potential problems which are challenging in the binarization process and use a common evaluation platform in order to test and compare the submitted algorithms for handwritten document image binarization.

Sample image documents along with the corresponding ground truth will be given to all participants right after their registration.

We invite all researchers in the field of Document Image Binarization  to register and participate in H-DIBCO 2010. An agreement will be signed by the participants and the organizers in order to protect the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the submitted software. The description of the methods and the evaluation scores will be presented during a dedicated ICFHR 2010 session. A report on the competition will be published in the ICFHR 2010 conference proceedings.

Note: You may participate in this contest even if you do not plan to attend the ICFHR 2010.     

Organizers:

I. Pratikakis, B. Gatos and K. Ntirogiannis

National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Greece