Writer Retrieval - Exploration of a Novel Biometric Scenario Using Perceptual Features Derived from Script Orientation

We propose a novel scenario called "writer retrieval" consisting in the retrieval from a set of documents all those produced by the same writer. The retrieval is based on a set of ten features correlated to perceived characteristics of the writing (orientation, regularity...). These features are extracted from the probability density function of the orientations of the writing contour. We evaluate the overall efficiency of each feature and the relative importance of features according to queries. Evaluation is conducted on the publicly available IAM database.