A new thinning algorithm and its applications

A new methodology is developed for detecting the fringes of an interferometer. In the binary pattern, a new saving-deletion rule is utilized to extract the fringe skeletons from the original pattern. The method is applicable to any orientation of the fringe. The various steps of the algorithm are explained by processing a test image in the PC-base digital image processing system. According to this method, the computer can analyze the fringes of an interferometer automatically and quickly, and we discuss our recent work on fringe stabilizers of long exposure holographic systems; caustic fringe monitoring, and computer aided analysis in SEM of HOE.