A new parallel thinning algorithm for binary images is proposed. This algorithm employs template matching to remove the edge points of an object shape in a binary image iteratively. Difficulty of terminating the thinning process without excessive erosion is solved without dividing an iteration into several passes. With a newly designed set of matching templates, the proposed algorithm obtains skeletons with the properties of perfectly 8-connected, noise-insensitive, and topologically equivalent to the original object shape without excessive erosion.
