Shape description in osteology using automatic Fourier analysis. Example of the human atlas

An image analysing procedure for the shape characterisation in osteology is described. We used expansion in Fourier series of an equiangular polar representation of the contour. Fourier analysis is an information preserving technique, and it is therefore possible to reconstruct the original contour from the shape descriptors (Fourier coefficients and descriptors). The properties of the truncated expansion of the Fourier series can be used for smoothing effect and noise reduction, for interpolated reconstruction, and for data compression. Fourier analysis also allows a quantitative description of the shape. The first components describe the gross feature, the following ones the fine details.