  A model to represent spatial information is presented in this paper. It is
based on fuzzy constraints represented as fuzzy geometric relations that can be
hierarchically structured. The concept of spatial template is introduced to
capture the idea of interrelated objects in two-dimensional space. The
representation model is used to specify imprecise or vague information
consisting in relative locations and orientations of template objects. It is
shown in this paper how a template represented by this model can be matched
against a crisp situation to recognize a particular instance of this template.
Furthermore, the proximity measure (fuzzy measure) between the instance and the
template is worked out - this measure can be interpreted as a degree of
similarity. In this context, template recognition can be viewed as a case of
fuzzy pattern recognition. The results of this work have been implemented and
applied to a complex military problem from which this work originated.
