Detecting shadows in multi-temporal aerial imagery to support near-real-time change detection

Multi-temporal aerial imagery captured via an approach called repeat station imaging (RSI) facilitates post-hazard assessment of damage to infrastructure. Spectral-radiometric (SR) variations caused by differences in shadowing may inhibit successful change detection based on image differencing. This study evaluates a novel approach to shadow classification based on bi-temporal imagery, which exploits SR change signatures associated with transient shadows. Changes in intensity (brightness from red–green–blue images) and intensity-normalized blue waveband values provide a basis for classifying transient shadows across a range of material types with unique reflectance properties, using thresholds that proved versatile for very different scenes. We derive classification thresholds for persistent shadows based on hue to intensity ratio (H/I) images, by exploiting statistics obtained from transient shadow areas. We assess shadow classification accuracy based on this procedure, and compare it to the more conventional approach of thresholding individual H/I images based on frequency distributions. Our efficient and semi-automated shadow classification procedure shows improved mean accuracy (93.3%) and versatility with different image sets over the conventional approach (84.7%). For proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that overlaying bi-temporal imagery also facilitates normalization of intensity values in transient shadow areas, as part of an integrated procedure to support near-real-time change detection.     

多时相遥感影像辐射归一化方法综述

多时相遥感影像的辐射归一化是进行变化检测或拼接不可缺少的步骤。本文从绝对辐射归一化和相对辐射归一化两个方面对现有的多时相遥感影像辐射归一化方法进行了总结。对各种辐射归一化方法进行了剖析,并指出了这些方法的优缺点和适应性。最后对多时相遥感影像辐射归一化方法未来的发展进行了展望。     

辐射特征支持下的城市高分影像阴影校正

大量城市建筑使得高分影像中含有许多阴影区。这些阴影区在土地利用分类、植被绿度调查等遥感应用中会较大地影响结果精度,降低数据使用效率并增加研究成本。基于同一地物阴影区与临近非阴影区反射率相等这一辐射特征关系,通过建立辐射传输方程,发展了一种新的城市高分遥感影像阴影校正方法 RERB(Reflectance Equality Relationship Based Method)。利用RERB对不同城市(北京和荷兰Enschede)不同高分多光谱影像(Geo Eye-1和Quick Bird)进行阴影校正,并对比分析其与被广泛采用的均值方差变换法MVT(Mean and Variance Transformation)的校正结果,通过定性和定量精度评价发现:(1)RERB能很好地将城市阴影区影像视觉特征(颜色、纹理、色调等)信息恢复到与非阴影区同一水平上;(2)RERB恢复后的阴影区具有丰富的细节信息且在视觉上与临近非阴影区具有良好的一致性;(3)RERB恢复后的城市柏油路面和水泥路面阴影区辐射信息具有较低的误差,可见光-近红外波段的平均误差分别为7%和9%。同时RERB能较好地恢复城市阴影区植被波谱特征信息。     

Pre-processing of a sample of multi-scene and multi-date Landsat imagery used to monitor forest cover changes over the tropics

In support to the Remote Sensing Survey of the global Forest Resource Assessment 2010, the TREES-3 project has processed more than 12,000 Landsat TM and ETM+ data subsets systematically distributed over the tropics. The project aims at deriving area estimates of tropical forest cover change for the periods 1990-2000-2005. The paper presents the pre-processing steps applied in an operational and robust manner to this large amount of multi-date and multi-scene imagery: conversion to top-of-atmosphere reflectance, cloud and cloud shadow detection, haze correction and image radiometric normalization. The results show that the haze correction algorithm has improved the visual appearance of the image and significantly corrected the digital numbers for Landsat visible bands, especially the red band. The impact of the normalization procedures (forest normalization and relative normalization) was assessed on 210 image pairs: in all cases the correlation between the spectral values of the same land cover in both images was improved. The developed automatic pre-processing chain provided a consistent multi-temporal data set across the tropics that will constitute the basis for an automatic object-based supervised classification.     

Shadow detection and compensation for color aerial images

A method for shadow detection and compensation for color aerial images is presented. It is considered that the intensity value of each image pixel is the product of illumination function and ground object reflection, and the shadowed regions on the image are mainly caused by the short of illumination, so the information compensation for the shadowed regions should concentrate on the illumination adjustment of concerned area on the basis of the analysis of whole image. The shadow detection and compensation procedure proposed by this paper consists of four steps.     

Shadow Detection and Compensation for Color Aerial Images

A method for shadow detection and compensation for color aerial images is presented. It is consid-ered that the intensity value of each image pixel is the product of illumina-tion function and ground object reflec-tion, and the shadowed regions on the image are mainly caused by the short of illumination, so the information compensation for the shadowed re-gions should concentrate on the illumi-nation adjustment of concerned area on the basis of the analysis of whole im-age. The shadow detection and com-pensation procedure proposed by this paper consists of four steps.     

基于边缘特征匹配的遥感影像变化检测预处理方法

提出了一种基于边缘特征匹配的遥感影像变化检测预处理方法，在进行不同时相遥感影像配准时，一并解求两期影像的辐射校正系数，同时实现两期影像的配准和辐射校正。实验表明，经预处理后，两期影像的色调基本一致，地物没有明显的几何变形。     

光谱角—欧氏距离的高光谱图像辐射归一化

辐射归一化旨在减小不同时相遥感影像间因获取条件不一致而导致的非地表辐射变化的差异,是土地覆盖变化监测的重要前提条件。本文根据高光谱图像上同类地物的谱形及数值的相似性,利用光谱角距离(SAD)和欧氏距离(ED)双重判定选取不变特征点,提出了一种基于光谱角—欧氏距离的辐射归一化方法。在评价指标中除了常用的均方根误差和相对偏差,更增加了高光谱特色的衡量光谱保真性指标:皮尔森系数、光谱扭曲程度。利用高光谱遥感CHRIS图像对本文提出方法进行验证,并与基于多元变化检测(MAD)的辐射归一化方法比较。结果表明,本文方法不仅在辐射特性上优于基于多元变化检测(MAD)的方法,而且具有保持光谱特性的优势,具有较好的应用前景。     

Fully constrained linear spectral unmixing based global shadow compensation for high resolution satellite imagery of urban areas

Shadows commonly exist in high resolution satellite imagery, particularly in urban areas, which is a combined effect of low sun elevation, off-nadir viewing angle, and high-rise buildings. The presence of shadows can negatively affect image processing, including land cover classification, mapping, and object recognition due to the reduction or even total loss of spectral information in shadows. The compensation of spectral information in shadows is thus one of the most important preprocessing steps for the interpretation and exploitation of high resolution satellite imagery in urban areas. In this study, we propose a new approach for global shadow compensation through the utilization of fully constrained linear spectral unmixing. The basic assumption of the proposed method is that the construction of the spectral scatter plot in shadows is analogues to that in non-shadow areas within a two-dimension spectral mixing space. In order to ensure the continuity of land covers, a smooth operator is further used to refine the restored shadow pixels on the edge of non-shadow and shadow areas. The proposed method is validated using the WorldView-2 multispectral imagery collected from downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In comparison with the existing linear-correlation correction method, the proposed method produced the compensated shadows with higher quality.     

基于整体变分模型的影像阴影检测算法研究

将影像上普遍存在的阴影视为图像退化的一种特殊形式，以整体变分模型为基础，以影像上阴影区域亮度普遍较暗且较均匀、阴影区域和非阴影区域之间的反差普遍较大的特点为约束，导出了整体变分模型用于影像上阴影检测的基本算法。通过对若干幅实际影像的阴影检测实验表明，本文算法对灰度影像和彩色影像上阴影区域的检测是有效的。     

卫星影像的云雾检测及干扰去除

云雾检测及去除是光学遥感图像处理的难题。厚云雾因具高反射特性，可通过阈值的设定将其检测并去除； 薄云因混有地物 光谱特性而较难检测，需先对影像做相对辐射校正处理，再将影像由RGB转换成HIS彩色模型，并假设薄云雾的加入等于白色颜料的加 入，即仅改变光谱的亮度或饱和度值，色相并无改变，藉此，可用多时段方式检测。实践证明，在HIS系统中可简化薄云雾的检测准 则，大大提高自动化检测云雾的可能性。     

Landsat TM遥感影像中厚云和阴影去除

提出了一种新的利用多时相Landsat TM影像数据进行的厚云及其阴影去除的方法。该方法通过分析厚云及其阴影的光谱特征, 设计了厚云和云阴影识别模型。该算法的实现是采用图像配准技术、非监督分类、像元替换等运算, 计算出厚云和云阴影区域的TM影像替换数据, 进而得到消除或者减少云影响的TM遥感影像。试验结果表明本文提出的厚云及其阴影去除方法效果很好, 能消除或者弱化云对TM影像数据的影响。     

Monitoring cross-border trails using airborne digital multispectral imagery and interactive image analysis techniques

The objective of this study was to evaluate image-based procedures for monitoring cross-border foot trails in the US – Mexico border zone in eastern San Diego County using airborne remote sensing techniques. Specifically, digital multi-spectral and multi-temporal imagery from an airborne digital multi-spectral imaging system, digital image processing, and visual image analysis techniques were explored in the context of detecting and delineating new trail features and updating trail GIS layers. Three trail updating approaches: map-to-image (M-I) overlay, map and image-to-image (M/I-I) differencing, map and image-to-image (M/I-I) swiping and two types of spectral transform, PCA and NDVI, were tested and compared. The M-I overlay was found to be the most reliable trail updating approach. The optimal image enhancement method for the M-I overlay approach varied with vegetation structure. PCA imagery yielded better results than NDVI imagery in a highly disturbed area and NDVI imagery performed better in a densely vegetated area. The M/I-I swiping approach was useful for distinguishing misregistered extant trails from new trail features.     

结合特征分量构建和面向对象方法提取高分辨率卫星影像阴影

针对高分辨率卫星影像,提出一种特征分量构建与面向对象结合的阴影提取方法。分析遥感阴影光谱特性,构建彩色不变特征C3、亮度特征I、主成分第一特征量PC1以及蓝色波段和近红外波段归一化比率特征RATIOb_nir,增强阴影信息。采用线性变换将几个特征分量Digital Number(DN)值归一化到相同范围,对这几个分量进行综合分析。以I和PC1分量为输入对影像进行多尺度分割,建立包括波段均值、标准差、最大差异等特征的规则集,实现面向对象的阴影信息提取。选取20幅QuickBird影像为例进行阴影提取实验,平均总体精度为97%,平均用户精度为96%,平均Kappa系数为0.94。实验结果表明,相对传统基于像素信息提取方法,本文方法提取阴影斑块完整,无破碎图斑;相对基于原始光谱的面向对象方法,本文方法提取精度更高。     

面向对象的高分辨率遥感影像阴影提取方法

针对高分辨率遥感影像阴影提取的问题,通过分析影像主成分变换和HIS变换的特征,提出了一种面向对象的高分辨率遥感影像阴影提取方法:首先,使用mean shift分割方法进行影像去噪和平滑;然后,结合主成分变换和HIS变换形成了一种阴影检测指数(SDI);最后,通过阈值分割提取阴影信息。选取两景影像进行了阴影提取实验。实验结果表明,SDI能有效地区分阴影与建筑物、水体、蓝色地物、植被等非阴影地物;另外,mean shift分割能有效地去除结果中斑点噪声的影响,提高阴影检测精度。     

不同时相MODIS L1B数据间定量关系研究

由不同时相和不同传感器所导致的遥感数据非一致性是定量监测地表长期变化所必须面对的一个重要问题。用于消减遥感数据非一致性的归一化辐射校正和传感器交叉定标,多采用统计方法,难以满足定量遥感发展的需求。本文针对MODISL1B光学波段产品数据,推导了不同时相非变像元灰度值(SI)之间的数学表达式,并利用MODIS的可见光-短波红外波段L1B数据对该定量关系进行了验证。研究表明,在可见光-短波红外波段,L1B非变像元在不同时相间的定量关系分为乘性和加性两部分,主要与太阳光照条件、大气状态以及传感器自身等变化因素有关。虽然基于MODIS非变像元时相关系的检验结果与理想状态下的结果存在偏差,但总体趋势仍然较好。     

基于DSM阴影仿真和高度场光线跟踪的影像阴影检测

介绍了一个建筑物阴影检测的模型。首先利用摄影测量学原理来计算阴影坐标。即用数字表面模型(digitalsurfacemodel,缩写为DSM)和太阳高度和方位来计算建筑物阴影的空间坐标,并由相机模型计算出每个阴影单元对应的扫描行和相机空间坐标。由高度场光线跟踪判断阴影的可见性,对可见阴影计算出它在投影图像上的坐标。然后在这个结果的基础上再对图像进行阴影的细分割。     

Development of a remotely sensed,historical land-cover change database for rural Chihuahua,Mexico

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a remotely sensed, historical land-cover change database for the northwestern quarter of Chihuahua, Mexico, The database consists of multi-temporal land-cover classifications and change detection images. The database is developed to facilitate future investigations that examine urban–rural linkages as possible drivers of rural land-use and land-cover changes. To develop the needed land-cover change database, this study uses the North American Landsat Characterization (NALC) MSS triplicates because of their temporal depth and spatial breadth. Challenges exist, however, to effective classification and change detection using the NALC triplicates, including illumination differences across multiple scenes and periods caused by topographic and solar variations and the lack of ground reference data for historic periods. Therefore, creation of the database is a four step process. First, extensive pre-processing is performed to enhance comparability of multi-date images. Pre-processing includes topographic correction, mosaic creation and multi-date radiance normalization. Second, ancillary sources of land-cover data are combined with visual interpretations of enhanced images to define reference pixels used to classify the images using the maximum likelihood algorithm. Third, classification accuracy is assessed. Fourth, post-classification change detection is performed. Results indicate significant image improvements after pre-processing that permit very good overall classification (86.26% classified correctly) and change detection. To conclude, findings are presented that indicate significant changes to arid grasslands/shrublands and forest resources in mountainous regions.     

Worldview-Ⅱ遥感影像的阴影检测方法研究

针对HIS空间变换阴影检测方法仅利用三原色波段数据进行阴影检测而未考虑影像数据之间的相关性及冗余度这一问题,该文结合最佳指数法提出一种适用于多光谱的Worldview-Ⅱ遥感卫星影像阴影检测方法,并引进归一化水体差异指数剔除掉水体的干扰,构建出适用于阴影检测的波段指数模型。实验结果表明,该方法针对Worldview-Ⅱ影像具有普适性,且相对于利用三原色数据进行阴影检测方法能更有效地避免植被信息的干扰,能够精确、快速地检测阴影区域,对后期的阴影去除等研究具有重要的参考价值。     

利用边界链编码和HMM进行SAR图像阴影建模和分类

针对利用合成孔径雷达图像中的阴影信息进行目标识别的问题,提出了一种边界链编码和隐马尔可夫模型(HMM)相结合的合成孔径雷达图像目标识别方法。该方法利用链编码技术来描述SAR图像阴影边界的形状,可以很好地反映形状的特性,且计算上很有效;利用HMM统计建模方法对阴影边界的链编码进行建模和分类,从而实现SAR图像的自动目标识别。使用MSTAR数据库中的SAR图像数据对该方法进行了验证和分析,分类结果证明只利用阴影信息进行分类的可行性,且该方法可以有效地实现SAR图像的目标识别。