How to bridge the gaps

Please, see attached image.

I already, tried bwmorph(img,'bridge'); but it couldn't connect the detached lines.

I don't want to use extreme values of imdilate() since then the original shape and direction of the lines is lost. With extreme values of imdilate() I get thicker lines and this is not something I want to. I want to retain the same thickness but to get them elongated in a way so they can connect.

Any advice please?

Thanks

Answer 1

[KALYAN ACHARJYA]

"I want to retain the same thickness but to get them elongated in a way so they can connect".

I tried using

se=strel('line',h,v);
result=imdilate(binary_image,se);

After that

use imerode (different structuring element), may be you will get similar to the original shape, with reaching the almost equal thickness.

[Stelios Fanourakis]

What are the h,v coefficients in strel?

[KALYAN ACHARJYA]

Like

se=strel('line',10,2);
% Check with different values, h represents horizantal (borading) pixels
%v represents vertical (borading) pixels
%Test with different values ans structuring elements, you will see the differences 

The challenge due to the shape of the lines, which are little curves, not exactly as horizantal line.

[Stelios Fanourakis]

Yeah. The small gaps filled. However there is a big gap at the upper curve that when I use high values e.g. 45 or 55 for horizontal and 14 for vertical in order to bridge the big gap, they usually tend to lose their shape and direction.

[KALYAN ACHARJYA]

Please look here it may helps