Characterization of Nanotube Structures Using Digital-Segmented Images

An automatic algorithm for measuring the thickness of carbon nanotubes is presented. The proposed algorithm is based on the computation of the thinning body of nanotubes. The main challenge for measuring the thickness of a nanotube is its isolation, due to the overlapping between nanotubes that typically appears in this type of images. In particular, an algorithm for solving the nanotube overlapping problem in previously-segmented images has also been elaborated. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated through a collection of segmented-images which are obtained from real carbon nanotubes using different types of electronic microscopes. The results of the algorithm are compared with measurements, a ground truth, provided by a nanotechnologist.