A shape classification method based on the topological perceptual organization (TPO) theory, comprising steps of: extracting boundary points of shapes (S1); constructing topological space and computing the representation of extracted boundary points (S2); extracting global features of shapes from the representation of boundary points in topological space (S3); extracting local features of shapes from the representation of boundary points in Euclidean space (S4); combining global features and local features through adjusting the weight of local features according to the performance of global features (S5); classifying shapes using the combination of global features and local features (S6). The invention is applicable for intelligent video surveillance, e.g., objects classification and scene understanding. The invention can also be used for the automatic driving system wherein robust recognition of traffic signs plays an important role in enhancing the intelligence of the system.