A Parallel Image Skeletonizing Method Using Spiking Neural P Systems with Weights

Spiking neural P systems (namely SN P systems, for short) are bio-inspired neural-like computing models under the framework of membrane computing, which are also known as a new candidate of the third generation of neural networks. In this work, a parallel image skeletonizing method is proposed with SN P systems with weights. Specifically, an SN P system with weighs is constructed to achieve the Zhang–Suen image skeletonizing algorithm. Instead of serial calculation like Zhang–Suen image skeletonizing algorithm, the proposed method can parallel process a certain number of pixels of an image by spiking multiple neurons simultaneously at any computation step. Demonstrating via the experimental results, our method shows higher efficiency in data-reduction and simpler skeletons with less noise spurs than the method developed in Diazpernil (Neurocomputing 115:81–91, 2013 ) in skeletonizing images like hand-written words.