2D Euclidean distance transform algorithms: A comparative survey

Ricardo Fabbri and Luciano da Fontoura Costa and Julio C. Torelli and Odemir Martinez Bruno

ACM Computer Surveys, 40(1):, 2008

The distance transform (DT) is a general operator forming the basis of many methods in computer vision and geometry, with great potential for practical applications. However, all the optimal algorithms for the computation of the exact Euclidean DT (EDT) were proposed only since the 1990s. In this work, state-of-the-art sequential 2D EDT algorithms are reviewed and compared, in an effort to reach more solid conclusions regarding their differences in spdoid and their exactness. Six of the best algorithms were fully implemented and compared in practice.