Use of Shape Deformation to Seamlessly Stitch Historical Document Images

In China, efforts are being made to preserve historical documents in the form of digital data so that they can be effectively used while being protected. Stitching technology is expected to play a role in these efforts as it can be used to divide a large historical document into multiple areas, scan those areas using a compact contactless scanner, and seamlessly connect the resulting images. Since historical documents are often on paper of low quality and have an uneven surface, there can be local distortion in the scanned images, making it difficult to stitch them together. To solve this problem, Fujitsu Research and Development Center Co., Ltd. has developed a seamless image stitching method using shape deformation. This method first deforms one of two images to approximate the other image and then estimates single or dual optimal seams to minimize deformation and maximize consistency. With this method, highquality images of historical documents can be obtained. This paper describes the problems associated with the stitching of historical document images, presents a method for solving them, and evaluates its performance.