Finding shapes using java

[allenh98]

Hello all, my assignment is to write a program that can depict shapes from pictures. So far, my plan is to average all the pixels with the pixels around them 1 by 1, therefore bluring the picture. Then, i will compare the new picture to the old picture. Any pixels that are not equal, means that it is a border. I then draw a white outline around the shapes. Any help as to how to actually determine the shapes?

[Euphoracle]

Connect the dots and count the sides? 3=triangle, etc?