Recognition of Handwritten Tamazight Characters Using ResNet, MobileNet and VGG Transfer Learning

The Tamazight civilization stands as a significant cultural entity, marked by its linguistic diversity, historical legacy, and scriptural traditions, which collectively enrich the cultural tapestry of North Africa. Among these traditions, the Tamazight handwritten script assumes particular importance, embodying centuries of cultural identity and artistic expression. Recognizing the imperative of safeguarding this cultural heritage, our study focuses on Tamazight handwritten character recognition. Leveraging the strategic application of Transfer Learning, we explore its efficacy in this domain. Transfer Learning presents a robust framework wherein pre-existing models are adapted for specific tasks despite limited data availability. Our research employs three prominent Transfer Learning architectures: VGG, ResNet, and MobileNet. Through a rigorous comparative analysis, we discern the efficacy of these methodologies in the context of Tamazight handwritten character recognition. Our findings underscore the potential of Transfer Learning to significantly augment the accuracy and efficiency of script recognition systems, thereby advancing the overarching objective of preserving and propagating the Tamazight cultural heritage.