On features used for handwritten character recognition in a neural network environment

Neural nets are considered as the underlying computing mechanism for a robust approach to the problem of handwritten character recognition. It is expected that recognition mechanisms will be developed through learning algorithms. A key factor to this problem is the set of primitive features which are used to form the raw input vectors representing the digitized image of a character. The authors have explored a number of conventional and new features that can be used in concert with adaptive clustering schemes. Experiences of the performance of these features are presented. A feature which the authors call shadow and which is presented here has produced particularly encouraging results