Binarization of images of striated toolmarks for estimation of the number of matching striations traces

The article deals with the comparison of striated toolmarks (land impressions) by way of binarization of these marks' images. The article also offers the criteria of the tabulation of matching traces (striations). The method of binarization is based on the evaluation of the line of average brightness which is dependable on the matrix of image data. The author developed the quantitative criteria in order to provide the calculation of the number of matching striations on binarized image. These criteria make it possible to conclude if the pair of examined traces is matching. The experiment was made in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the method. In the experiment, more than ten different matching toolmarks with different quality of traces were examined in two ways: using the developed method and by traditional calculation done by experts. The difference between the results was less than 15 percent, which is enough to acknowledge the method as effective. The results of the research can be used for the development of automatic ballistic identification systems.