1. A neighborhood transformation circuit stage for analyzing an image represented by a serial stream of digital data signals corresponding to a matrix of points constituting the image, said stage circuitry comprising: a data input for receiving said stream of digital data signals; neighborhood extraction means including a plurality of digital storage devices for temporarily storing digital signals associated with a neighborhood in the matrix comprised of a central data point and its surrounding points in the matrix; means for loading the signals into the storage devices to sequentially access substantially all of the neighborhoods in the matrix; neighborhood configuration detector means for detecting a particular configuration of data signals having given values in each extracted neighborhood and providing a given output signal when the particular configuration is detected; center detection means coupled to the storage device in the neighborhood extraction means containing the central data point, operative to provide a given output signal when a data signal having particular values for the central data point is contained therein; comparison means having a plurality of inputs coupled to the outputs of said neighborhood configuration detector means and said center detection means, operative to provide an output signal upon receipt of both of said given signals; and multiplexor means having at least two inputs and a control input for selectively coupling one of the inputs to its output, one of said inputs being coupled to the storage device in the neighborhood extraction means containing the central data point, the other input being coupled to a value generator means for providing a signal of a selected value, with said control input being coupled to the output of the comparison means such that the output of said multiplexor means provides the transformation output for the stage and is dependent upon the output of said comparison means.