Handwritten signature verification using locally optimized distance-based classification.

Abstract

Although handwritten signature verification has been extensively researched, it has not achieved optimum accuracy rate. Therefore, efficient and accurate signature verification techniques are required since signatures are still widely used as a means of personal verification. This research work presents efficient distance-based classification techniques as an alternative to supervised learning classification techniques (SLTs). Two different feature extraction techniques were used, namely the Enhanced Modified Direction Feature (EMDF) and the Local Directional Pattern feature (LDP). These were used to analyze the effect of using several different distance-based classification techniques. Among the classification techniques used, are the cosine similarity measure, Mahalanobis, Canberra, Manhattan, Euclidean, weighted Euclidean and fractional distances. Additionally, the novel weighted fractional distances, as well as locally optimized resampling of feature vector sizes were tested. The best accuracy was achieved through applying a combination of the weighted fractional distances and locally optimized resampling classification techniques to the Local Directional Pattern feature extraction. This combination of multiple distance-based classification techniques achieved accuracy rate of 89.2% when using the EMDF feature extraction technique, and 90.8% when using the LDP feature extraction technique. These results are comparable to those in literature, where the same feature extraction techniques were classified with SLTs. The best of the distance-based classification techniques were found to produce greater accuracy than the SLTs.