Element recognition method and apparatus

The invention discloses an element recognition method. The method includes following steps: a to-be-matched target picture and at least two template pictures of a to-be-recognized element are read; template matching of the at least two template pictures and the to-be-matched target picture is performed, and at least two corresponding groups of matching values are obtained; operation of the at least two groups of matching values is performed according to a preset calculation rule, and a group of matching results are generated; and each matching result in the group of matching results is compared with a preset threshold, and the position of the to-be-recognized element on the target picture is recognized according to the relation of the matching results and the threshold. The invention also discloses an element recognition apparatus. According to the element recognition method and the apparatus, high recognition accuracy is guaranteed when the target picture is stained, incomplete, or deformed.