A New Fingerprint Enhancement Approach Using Image Fusion of Histogram Equalisation and Skeleton

Abstract

Fingerprint classification is a technique used to assign fingerprints into five established classes namely Whorl, Left loop, Right loop, Arch and Tented Arch based on their ridge structures and singular points’ trait. Although some progresses have been made thus far to improve accuracy rates, problem arises from ambiguous fingerprints is far from over, especially in large intra-class and small inter-class variations. Poor quality images including blur, dry, wet, low-contrast, cut, scarred and smudgy, are equally challenging. As a good start of work, fingerprint image enhancement has been focused on this study. It begins with greyscale normalization, followed by histogram equalization, binarization, skeletonization and ends with image fusion, which eventually produces high quality images with clear ridge flows. 27,000 fingerprint images acquired from The National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) Special Database 14, which is de facto dataset for experimental in this study. With the multi-type enhancement method, the fingerprint images became clearly visible.