Automated Image Pre-Processing for Optimized Text Extraction Using Reinforcement Learning and Genetic Algorithms

Abstract: This project aims to develop an automated image pre-processing chain to extract valuable information from appliance labels before recycling. The primary goal is to improve optical character recognition accuracy by addressing noise issues using reinforcement learning and an evolutionary algorithm. Python was selected as the primary programming language for this project due to its extensive support for machine learning and computer vision libraries. Different techniques are implemented to enhance text extraction from labels. Binary Robust Invariant Scalable Keypoints (BRISK) are used to straighten labels and separate the label from the background. You Only Look Once version 8x (YOLOv8x) is then used for extracting the regions containing the text of interest. The reinforcement learning model and genetic algorithm dataset are created using BRISK with YOLOv8x. The results showed that pre-processing images in the dataset, provided through BRISK and YOLOv8x, does not affect text extraction accuracy, as suggested by reinforcement learning and evolutionary algorithms.