Currently, deep learning approaches have proven successful in the areas of handwriting recognition. Despite this, research in this field is still needed, especially in the context of multilingual online handwriting recognition scripts by adopting new network architectures and combining relevant parametric models. In this paper, we propose a multi-stage deep learning-based algorithm for multilingual online handwriting recognition based on hybrid deep Bidirectional Long Short Term Memory (DBLSTM) and SVM networks. The main contributions of our work lie in partly in the composition of a new multi-stage architecture of deep learning networks associated with effective feature vectors that integrate dynamic and visual characteristics. First, the proposed system proceeds by pretreating the acquired script and delimiting its Segments of Online Handwriting Trajectories (SOHTs). Second, two types of feature vectors combining BetaElliptic Model (BEM) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) are extracted for each SOHT in order to fuzzy classify them into k sub-groups using DBLSTM neural networks for both online and offline branches trained using an unsupervised fuzzy k-means algorithm. Finally, we combine the trained models to strengthen the discrimination power of the global system using SVM engine. Extensive experiments on three data sets were conducted to validate the performance of the proposed method. The experimental results show the effectiveness and complementarities of the individual modules and the advantage of their fusion.

This work is part of an innovative e-learning project allowing the development of an advanced digital educational tool that provides feedback during the process of learning handwriting for young school children (three to eight years old). In this paper, we describe a new method for children handwriting quality analysis. It automatically detects mistakes, gives real-time on-line feedback for children’s writing, and helps teachers comprehend and evaluate children’s writing skills. The proposed method adjudges five main criteria: shape, direction, stroke order, position respect to the reference lines, and kinematics of the trace. It analyzes the handwriting quality and automatically gives feedback based on the combination of three extracted models: Beta-Elliptic Model (BEM) using similarity detection (SD) and dissimilarity distance (DD) measure, Fourier Descriptor Model (FDM), and perceptive Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with Support Vector Machine (SVM) comparison engine. The originality of our work lies partly in the system architecture which apprehends complementary dynamic, geometric, and visual representation of the examined handwritten scripts and in the efficient selected features adapted to various handwriting styles and multiple script languages such as Arabic, Latin, digits, and symbol drawing. The application offers two interactive interfaces respectively dedicated to learners, educators, experts or teachers and allows them to adapt it easily to the specificity of their disciples. The evaluation of our framework is enhanced by a database collected in Tunisia primary school with 400 children. Experimental results show the efficiency and robustness of our suggested framework that helps teachers and children by offering positive feedback throughout the handwriting learning process using tactile digital devices.

An innovative e-learning project is presented in this paper, which is a mobile workbook that teaches handwriting at school. This mobile application proposes a new qualitative and quantitative analysis process of online cursive handwriting. It gives a real-time feedback, detects mistakes and helps teachers evaluate children's writing skills. The main aim of this notebook is to aid kids learn how to write correctly. We analyze handwriting according to major criteria like shape, kinematics of the trace, position respect to the reference lines, stroke order and direction.

This paper describes an innovative e-learning project which is the development of a digital workbook that helps teaching handwriting at school. In this work, we propose a new qualitative and quantitative analysis process of cursive handwriting. This process detects automatically mistakes, gives a real-time feedback and helps teachers evaluate children’s writing skills. The main aim of this digital workbook is to help children learn how to write correctly. The proposed process is composed of five main criteria: shape,direction, stroke order, position respect to the reference lines and kinematics of the trace. It analyzes the handwriting quality and gives automatically feedback based on the Beta-Elliptic Model using similarity detection (SD) and dissimilarity distance (DD) measure. Our work apprehends dynamic and visual representation of the acquired traces and selects efficient features adapted to various handwriting styles and multiple script languages such as Arabic, Latin, digits, and symbols drawing. It demonstrates that beta-elliptic is not only a model for segmentation and recognition but also a tool to evaluate handwriting. Our application offers two interactive interfaces respectively dedicated to learners, and experts or teachers who can adapt it easily to the specificity of each child. The validation of the proposed system is done on a database collected in Tunisia primary schools with 400 children. Experimental results show that the efficiency and robustness of our suggested framework that do help teachers and children by offering positive feedback throughout the handwriting learning process using tactile digital devices.

Online signals are rich in dynamic features such as trajectory chronology, velocity, pressure and pen up/down movements. Their offline counterparts consist of a set of pixels. Thus, online handwriting recognition accuracy is generally better than offline. In this paper, we propose an original framework for recovering temporal order and pen velocity from offline multi-lingual handwriting. Our framework is based on an integrated sequence-to-sequence attention model. The proposed system involves extracting a hidden representation from an image using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (BGRU), and decoding the encoded vectors to generate dynamic information using a BGRU with temporal attention. We validate our framework using an online recognition system applied to a benchmark Latin, Arabic and Indian On/Off dual-handwriting character database. The performance of the proposed multi-lingual system is demonstrated through a low error rate of point coordinates and high accuracy system rate.