Abstract: This study presents an efficient algorithm that performs basic Mathematical Morphology operations like opening and closing with any arbitrary shaped structuring element. It is shown that this algorithm has a lower complexity and better computing time than all other known methods. The required computing time is independent of the image content and of the number of gray levels used. This also can slightly reduce the computational cost per size or shape. Shape parameters are extracted from objects in order to describe their shape to compare it to the shape of template objects or to partition objects into classes of different shapes. Objects can be viewed from different distances and from different points of view. Thus it is of interest to find shape parameters that are scale and rotation invariant or that are even invariant under affine or perspective projection.