BezierAlign is a feature sampling method used for recognizing arbitrarily-shaped text in images. It takes advantage of the parameterization nature of a compact Bezier curve bounding box to achieve better accuracy in detecting and recognizing text, compared to other sampling methods.
What is Bezier Curve?
Bezier curve is a mathematical curve used in computer graphics, where the curve is defined by a series of control points. These control points can define any shape, such as a text box in an image. Bezier curves are used extensively in computer graphics, including in text recognition applications.
How Does BezierAlign Work?
Unlike other text recognition methods, BezierAlign uses a sampling grid that is not rectangular in shape. Instead, it uses a grid whose columns are orthogonal to the Bezier curve boundary of the text. The sampling points have an equidistant interval in width and height, which are bilinear interpolated with respect to the coordinates.
To understand how BezierAlign works, let's look at an example. Suppose we have an image with a text box defined by a Bezier curve. BezierAlign takes this curve and the input feature map as inputs. It then processes all the output pixels of the rectangular output feature map.
For each pixel in the output feature map, BezierAlign calculates the value of t, which is determined by the position of the pixel in the output feature map. Based on t, BezierAlign calculates the position of the upper and lower Bezier curve boundaries.
Using these boundaries, BezierAlign can then linearly index the sampling point. With the position of this point, it can apply bilinear interpolation to calculate the result.
Why is BezierAlign Important?
BezierAlign is an important advancement in text recognition technology, as it allows for the accurate detection of arbitrarily-shaped text boxes in images. This is particularly useful in fields such as optical character recognition (OCR), where the accuracy of the recognition process can be vital.
Compared to other text recognition methods, BezierAlign achieves higher accuracy in detecting text. It is particularly effective when dealing with text that is not rectangular in shape, such as curved or circular text.
BezierAlign is a feature sampling method for recognizing arbitrarily-shaped text in images. It takes advantage of the parameterization nature of a compact Bezier curve bounding box and uses a non-rectangular sampling grid to achieve better accuracy in detecting and recognizing text. BezierAlign is an important advancement in text recognition technology, particularly in fields such as OCR where accuracy is crucial.
