Effective optical processor for computing image moments at TV rate: use in handwriting recognition.

An incoherent multiplexed optical processor is described that computes in real time the moments of images sensed by a TV camera and displayed on a monitor. The first ten moments are generated in parallel and are detected by a photodetector array. They are collected by a microcomputer for subsequent pattern recognition use. Calibration and resolution problems are discussed with regard to the effective 2% system accuracy. Its use in real-time processing of one hundred handwritten pages shows the processor to be a practical moment generator.