Comparing supervised and unsupervised multiresolution segmentation approaches for extracting buildings from very high resolution imagery

Although multiresolution segmentation (MRS) is a powerful technique for dealing with very high resolution imagery, some of the image objects that it generates do not match the geometries of the target objects, which reduces the classification accuracy. MRS can, however, be guided to produce results that approach the desired object geometry using either supervised or unsupervised approaches. Although some studies have suggested that a supervised approach is preferable, there has been no comparative evaluation of these two approaches. Therefore, in this study, we have compared supervised and unsupervised approaches to MRS. One supervised and two unsupervised segmentation methods were tested on three areas using QuickBird and WorldView-2 satellite imagery. The results were assessed using both segmentation evaluation methods and an accuracy assessment of the resulting building classifications. Thus, differences in the geometries of the image objects and in the potential to achieve satisfactory thematic accuracies were evaluated. The two approaches yielded remarkably similar classification results, with overall accuracies ranging from 82% to 86%. The performance of one of the unsupervised methods was unexpectedly similar to that of the supervised method; they identified almost identical scale parameters as being optimal for segmenting buildings, resulting in very similar geometries for the resulting image objects. The second unsupervised method produced very different image objects from the supervised method, but their classification accuracies were still very similar. The latter result was unexpected because, contrary to previously published findings, it suggests a high degree of independence between the segmentation results and classification accuracy. The results of this study have two important implications. The first is that object-based image analysis can be automated without sacrificing classification accuracy, and the second is that the previously accepted idea that classification is dependent on segmentation is challenged by our unexpected results, casting doubt on the value of pursuing ‘optimal segmentation’. Our results rather suggest that as long as under-segmentation remains at acceptable levels, imperfections in segmentation can be ruled out, so that a high level of classification accuracy can still be achieved.     

The comparison index: A tool for assessing the accuracy of image segmentation

Segmentation algorithms applied to remote sensing data provide valuable information about the size, distribution and context of landscape objects at a range of scales. However, there is a need for well-defined and robust validation tools to assessing the reliability of segmentation results. Such tools are required to assess whether image segments are based on ‘real’ objects, such as field boundaries, or on artefacts of the image segmentation algorithm. These tools can be used to improve the reliability of any land-use/land-cover classifications or landscape analyses that is based on the image segments.The validation algorithm developed in this paper aims to: (a) localize and quantify segmentation inaccuracies; and (b) allow the assessment of segmentation results on the whole. The first aim is achieved using object metrics that enable the quantification of topological and geometric object differences. The second aim is achieved by combining these object metrics into a ‘Comparison Index’, which allows a relative comparison of different segmentation results. The approach demonstrates how the Comparison Index CI can be used to guide trial-and-error techniques, enabling the identification of a segmentation scale H that is close to optimal. Once this scale has been identified a more detailed examination of the CI–H- diagrams can be used to identify precisely what H value and associated parameter settings will yield the most accurate image segmentation results.The procedure is applied to segmented Landsat scenes in an agricultural area in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The segmentations were generated using the ‘Fractal Net Evolution Approach’, which is implemented in the eCognition software.     

Evaluation of data fusion and image segmentation in earth observation based rapid mapping workflows

This paper is an exploratory study, which aimed to discover the synergies of data fusion and image segmentation in the context of EO-based rapid mapping workflows. Our approach pillared on the geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) focusing on multiscale, internally-displaced persons’ (IDP) camp information extraction from very high spatial resolution (VHSR) images. We applied twelve pansharpening algorithms to two subsets of a GeoEye-1 image scene that was taken over a former war-induced ephemeral settlement in Sri Lanka. A multidimensional assessment was employed to benchmark pansharpening algorithms with respect to their spectral and spatial fidelity. The multiresolution segmentation (MRS) algorithm of the eCognition Developer software served as the key algorithm in the segmentation process. The first study site was used for comparing segmentation results produced from the twelve fused products at a series of scale, shape, and compactness settings of the MRS algorithm. The segmentation quality and optimum parameter settings of the MRS algorithm were estimated by using empirical discrepancy measures. Non-parametric statistical tests were used to compare the quality of image object candidates, which were derived from the twelve pansharpened products. A wall-to-wall classification was performed based on a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to classify image objects candidates of the fused images. The second site simulated a more realistic crisis information extraction scenario where the domain expertise is crucial in segmentation and classification. We compared segmentation and classification results of the original images (non-fused) and twelve fused images to understand the efficacy of data fusion. We have shown that the GEOBIA has the ability to create meaningful image objects during the segmentation process by compensating the fused image’s spectral distortions with the high-frequency information content that has been injected during fusion. Our findings further questioned the necessity of the data fusion step in rapid mapping context. Bypassing time-intensive data fusion helps to actuate EO-based rapid mapping workflows. We, however, emphasize the fact that data fusion is not limited to VHSR image data but expands over many different combinations of multi-date, multi-sensor EO-data. Thus, further research is needed to understand the synergies of data fusion and image segmentation with respect to multi-date, multi-sensor fusion scenarios and extrapolate our findings to other remote sensing application domains beyond EO-based crisis information retrieval.     

遥感模式分类中的空间统计学应用——以面向对象的遥感影像农田提取为例

如何有效地从遥感图像中提取所需信息,是遥感图像处理和应用的关键,而尺度选择问题一直是影响遥感信息提取精度的关键问题之一。本文论述了利用空间统计学方法解决遥感影像模式分类中的尺度问题的理论基础。针对面向对象影像分析问题,将影响遥感影像多尺度分割的尺度分割参数概括为空间属性分割参数、光谱属性分割参数和影像对象面积阈值参数,并分别提出了基于统计学的尺度参数估计方法。以SPOT-5影像面向对象农田提取为例,基于变异函数方法进行了尺度优选试验,系列尺度分类试验结果表明基于空间统计学尺度估计得到的尺度分割结果进行分类能得到最高的精度,进而证明了基于空间统计学方法进行面向对象信息提取尺度估计的有效性。该方法是完全数据驱动的方法,基本不需要先验知识参与。不同于以往分割后评价的尺度选择方法会占用大量计算资源且耗费大量时间,本文提出的方法不仅能在一定程度上保证面向对象信息提取的精度,而且在一定程度上也提高了面向对象信息提取的效率和自动化程度。     

Landsat 8多光谱数据辅助下的高分影像多尺度分割

为解决高分影像分割的边缘锯齿性明显等问题,本文以黑龙江省伊春市桦皮羌子林场为研究区开展了有无多光谱数据辅助的高分影像分割对比试验。首先,本文设计了多尺度分割算法的相同尺度参数下分割试验,确定了该算法分割GF-2影像时应采用的最佳同质性准则组合参数;然后,基于影像分割对象同质性局部方差变化率反映最优分割尺度的思想,利用ESP2工具找出固定尺度范围内的最优分割尺度范围;最后执行最佳同质性准则组合参数配合下的最优分割尺度范围内各个尺度下的多尺度分割,并采用矢量距离指数、紧密度指数、形状指数对2种分割试验结果进行了评价。结果表明,与GF-2影像独立分割相比,Landsat 8多光谱数据辅助下的GF-2影像分割在矢量距离指数、紧密度指数、形状指数的质量上均有提升,平均提升率分别为8.05%、28.40%、11.76%。     

A Tool Assessing Optimal Multi-Scale Image Segmentation

Image segmentation to create representative objects by region growing image segmentation techniques such as multi resolution segmentation (MRS) is mostly done through interactive selection of scale parameters and is still a subject of great research interest in object-based image analysis. In this study, we developed an optimum scale parameter selector (OSPS) tool for objective determination of multiple optimal scales in an image by MRS using eCognition software. The ready to use OSPS tool consists of three modules and determines optimum scales in an image by combining intrasegment variance and intersegment spatial autocorrelation. The tool was tested using WorldView-2 and Resourcesat-2 LISS-IV Mx images having different spectral and spatial resolutions in two areas to find optimal objects for ground features such as water bodies, trees, buildings, road, agricultural fields and landslides. Quality of the objects created for these features using scale parameters obtained from the OSPS tool was evaluated quantitatively using segmentation goodness metrics. Results show that OSPS tool is able determine optimum scale parameters for creation of representative objects from high resolution satellite images by MRS method.     

Efficient paddy field mapping using Landsat-8 imagery and object-based image analysis based on advanced fractel net evolution approach

This paper proposes an efficient paddy field mapping method using object-based image analysis and a bitemporal data set acquired by Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager. In the proposed approach, image segmentation is the first step and its quality has a serious impact on the accuracy of paddy field classification. In order to improve segmentation quality, a new segmentation algorithm based on a frequently used method, fractal net evolution approach, is developed, with improvement mainly in merging criteria. In order to automate the process of scale parameter determination, an unsupervised scale selection method is utilized to determine the optimal scale parameter for the proposed image segmentation approach. After segmentation, four types of object-based features including geometric, spectral, textural, and contextual information are extracted and input into the subsequent classification procedure. By using a random forest classifier, paddy fields and nonpaddy fields are separated. The proposed image segmentation method and the final classification result are both quantitatively evaluated. Our segmentation method outperformed two popular algorithms according to three supervised evaluation criteria. The classification result with overall accuracy of 91.00% and kappa statistic of 0.82 validated the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Further analysis on feature importance indicated that spectral features made the most contribution as compared to the other three types of object-based features.     

A multi-band approach to unsupervised scale parameter selection for multi-scale image segmentation

Image segmentation is one of key steps in object based image analysis of very high resolution images. Selecting the appropriate scale parameter becomes a particularly important task in image segmentation. In this study, an unsupervised multi-band approach is proposed for scale parameter selection in the multi-scale image segmentation process, which uses spectral angle to measure the spectral homogeneity of segments. With the increasing scale parameter, spectral homogeneity of segments decreases until they match the objects in the real world. The index of spectral homogeneity is thus used to determine multiple appropriate scale parameters. The performance of the proposed method is compared to a single-band based method through qualitative visual interpretation and quantitative discrepancy measures. Both methods are applied for segmenting two images: a QuickBird scene of an urban area within Beijing, China and a Woldview-2 scene of a suburban area in Kashiwa, Japan. The proposed multi-band based segmentation scale parameter selection method outperforms the single-band based method with the better recognition for diverse land cover objects in different urban landscapes.     

面向对象影像多尺度分割最大异质性参数估计

多尺度分割是遥感影像分析的关键步骤,影像分割过程中的尺度参数选择直接关系到面向对象影像分析的质量和精度。首先,总结了面向对象影像分析中尺度概念的内涵,分析遥感影像空间和属性两大基本特征,依据空间统计和光谱统计获得理论上最优的空间尺度分割参数、属性尺度分割参数。其次,运用了基于谱空间统计的高分辨率影像分割尺度估计方法,分析了分形网络演化多尺度分割与影像谱空间统计特征的关系,进而将基于谱空间统计的面向对象影像分析尺度参数应用于分形网络演化多尺度分割算法中,最后,对其参数的合理性进行验证。研究采用高空间分辨率IKONOS和SPOT 5影像数据,选择建筑实验区和农田实验区进行空间和光谱特征统计,以进一步估计分割中的最佳尺度参数。使用分形网络演化方法对图像进行分割,利用监督分类对本文提出的尺度估计方法进行验证,验证结果表明尺度估计方法可以一定程度上保证后续的面向对象影像分类的精度。不同于以往分割后评价的尺度选择方法会需要大量的运算量,本文方法不需要先验知识的参与,且在分割前就可以自适应地估计出相对较为合适的尺度参数,提高了面向对象信息提取的自动化程度。     

A comparative study of the segmentation of weighted aggregation and multiresolution segmentation

Multiresolution segmentation (MRS) algorithm has been widely used to handle very-high-resolution (VHR) remote sensing images in the past decades. Unfortunately, segmentation quality is limited by the dependency of parameter selection on users’ experience and diverse images. Contrarily, the segmentation by weighted aggregation (SWA) can partly overcome the above limitations and produce an optimal segmentation for maximizing the homogeneity within segments and the heterogeneity across segments. However, SWA is solely tested and justified with digital photos in computer vision field instead of VHR images. This study aims at evaluating SWA performance on VHR imagery. First, multiscale spectral, shape, and texture features are defined to measure homogeneity of image objects for segmentation. Second, SWA is implemented to handle QuickBird, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and GF-1 VHR images and further compared with MRS in eCognition software to demonstrate the applicability of SWA to diverse images in building, vegetation and water, forest stands, farmland, and mountain areas. Third, the results are fully evaluated with quantitative measurements on segmented objects and classification-based accuracy assessment on geographic information system vector data. The results indicate that SWA can produce higher quality segmentations, need fewer parameters and manual interventions, create fewer segmentation levels, incorporate more features, and obtain larger classification accuracy than MRS.     

GF-2影像面向对象典型城区地物提取方法

国产高分遥感影像信息丰富,提供了精准的地物空间细节,深入研究高分数据处理及其提取城区地类目标信息的方法具有重要意义。本文以国产高分二号（GF-2）遥感影像为数据源,利用规则集的面向对象分类方法,通过ESP尺度分析工具选取得出最优分割尺度,建立各类地物的特征体系及分类规则,最终提取出研究区典型城区地物信息,并将之与传统基于像元的SVM监督分类结果作比较。结果表明：规则集的面向对象分类总体精度为92.23%,Kappa系数为0.9,比SVM监督分类有大幅度提高。对高分二号等高分辨率影像,面向对象的分类方法精度更高,图示效果更好,是城区地物提取的有效方法。     

一种基于统计学习理论的最小生成树图像分割准则

根据基于区域增长的面向对象图像分割的本质特点,将统计学习理论与最小生成树算法相结合,提出了一种基于统计学习理论的最小生成树图像分割准则。将该图像分割准则应用于多种遥感影像数据进行分割实验,其结果表明基于统计学习理论的最小生成树图像分割准则能通过简便的参数设置,即可以较好地实现不同尺度目标的图像分割,同时又能对纹理区域进行有效分割,能获得良好的区域边界和较好的抗噪声性能,并在海岸带大比例尺无人机正射影像的图像分割实践中得到了较好验证。     

基于最优尺度和规则的高分辨率影像分类研究

高分辨率影像的广泛应用推进面向对象影像分析(OBIA)的发展,而分割作为面向对象分类的关键步骤,其尺度的选择直接关系到地物信息的提取。空间尺度是地物的固有属性,在合适的分割尺度下可以更好地挖掘地物信息。本文结合最大面积法和分割质量评价模型对张山营镇影像进行分割实验,先通过分析对象最大面积初步得到最优尺度范围,后结合分割质量评价模型以确定最优分割尺度层次。在此基础上,综合样本提取的光谱、纹理等特征进行规则训练,最终完成面向对象的土地覆被分类研究。结果显示:基于多层次最优尺度的规则分类方法获得更好的分类结果,其总体精度为88.8%,Kappa系数为0.861,而基于单一尺度的最邻近法总体精度81.4%,Kappa系数0.773,基于单一尺度的规则分类法总体精度为83.2%,Kappa系数为0.85。     

最优路径的无人机影像拼接

SIFT算法是基于尺度空间的特征匹配方法,该算法为每个关键点指定了方向参数,具备旋转不变性,对图像倾斜的适应性很强.本文采用SIFT算法对无人机图像提取特征点,利用欧氏距离粗匹配,通过距离中误差精匹配.在对拼接误差原因分析的基础上,提出了采用最优路径的拼接方法来降低误差.     

引入松弛因子的高分辨率遥感影像自动多层次分割

针对当前高分辨率遥感影像多层次分割尺度参数设置缺少理论框架支持、人为因素影响较多等缺点,提出一种引入松弛因子的高分辨率遥感影像自动多层次分割方法。该方法利用1个松弛因子调节引导区域对象合并的异质性值大小,通过控制每次递归合并区域的对象个数,提高了整体分割的速度;以区域对象间异质性平均值作为基数,引入另一个松弛因子控制分割过程中层次输出的尺度参数,使整个分割过程自动得到不同尺度的多层次分割结果。实验结果表明,该方法具有较高的分割质量,能够满足遥感影像分析及地物提取的精度要求,并且减少了人为因素影响,提高了自动化程度。但是,对于复杂图像内容的地物目标边界处理和减少狭长区域对象的出现还需要进一步深入研究和实践。     

基于Voronoi几何划分和EM/MPM算法的多视SAR图像分割

基于区域和统计的SAR分割方法,提出一种结合Voronoi划分技术、最大期望值EM(Expectation Maximization)和最大边缘概率MPM(Maximization of the Posterior Marginal)算法的多视SAR图像分割方法。首先利用Voronoi划分将图像域划分成不同的子区域,而每个子区域可以被看成待分割同质区域的一个组成部分,并假设每个子区域内的像素满足同一独立的Gamma分布,从而建立多视SAR图像模型,并在贝叶斯理论架构下建立图像分割模型,然后结合EM/MPM算法进行图像分割和模型参数估计。该方法将基于像元的马尔可夫随机场(Markov Random Field,MRF)模型扩展到基于区域的MRF模型,并且能同时有效地获取模型参数估计和基于区域的SAR图像最优分割。采用本文算法,分别对RADARSAT-Ⅰ/ⅡSAR强度图像和合成SAR强度图像进行了分割实验,定性和定量的测试结果验证了本文方法的有效性、可靠性和准确性。     

融入空间关系的二型模糊模型高分辨率遥感影像分割

为解决高分辨率遥感影像分割中,由光谱测度的空间复杂性、相同类型地物目标异质性增大带来的类属不确定性以及分割决策不确定性等引起的分割精度下降问题,提出一种融入空间关系的区间二型模糊模型高分辨率遥感影像监督分割方法。(1)建立高斯函数模型作为一型模糊模型,用来刻画像素类属的不确定性;(2)模糊化一型模糊模型中的均值或标准差,建立区间二型模糊模型,以强化类属的不确定表达和增加分割决策信息;(3)综合一型模糊模型及区间二型模糊模型的上、下隶属函数建模模糊决策模型;(4)融入邻域像素关系,使用待分像素及其邻域像素在模糊决策模型中的隶属度共同决定像素的类属。采用本文算法分别对真实高分辨遥感影像及合成影像进行分割,并对测试结果进行定性和定量分析。结果表明,本文算法可以得到更高的分割精度。     

Hybrid region merging method for segmentation of high-resolution remote sensing images

Image segmentation remains a challenging problem for object-based image analysis. In this paper, a hybrid region merging (HRM) method is proposed to segment high-resolution remote sensing images. HRM integrates the advantages of global-oriented and local-oriented region merging strategies into a unified framework. The globally most-similar pair of regions is used to determine the starting point of a growing region, which provides an elegant way to avoid the problem of starting point assignment and to enhance the optimization ability for local-oriented region merging. During the region growing procedure, the merging iterations are constrained within the local vicinity, so that the segmentation is accelerated and can reflect the local context, as compared with the global-oriented method. A set of high-resolution remote sensing images is used to test the effectiveness of the HRM method, and three region-based remote sensing image segmentation methods are adopted for comparison, including the hierarchical stepwise optimization (HSWO) method, the local-mutual best region merging (LMM) method, and the multiresolution segmentation (MRS) method embedded in eCognition Developer software. Both the supervised evaluation and visual assessment show that HRM performs better than HSWO and LMM by combining both their advantages. The segmentation results of HRM and MRS are visually comparable, but HRM can describe objects as single regions better than MRS, and the supervised and unsupervised evaluation results further prove the superiority of HRM.     

面向对象的多尺度加权联合稀疏表示的高空间分辨率遥感影像分类

针对高空间分辨率遥感影像中的地物具有多尺度特性,以及各个尺度的对象特征对地物分类精度的影响具有较强的尺度效性,并结合面向对象影像分析方法和多尺度联合稀疏表示方法在高空间分辨率遥感影像分类中的各自优点,提出了一种面向对象的多尺度加权稀疏表示的高空间分辨率遥感影像分类算法。首先,采用多尺度分割算法获得多尺度分割结果并提取对象的多尺度特征;然后,根据影像对象的多尺度分割质量测度计算各尺度的对象权重,构建面向对象的多尺度加权联合稀疏表示模型;最后,采用2个国产GF-2高空间分辨率遥感数据集和1个高光谱-高空间分辨率航空遥感数据集（WashingtonD.C.数据）验证该算法的有效性。试验结果表明,与SVM、像素级稀疏表示、单尺度和多尺度对象级稀疏表示和深度学习等算法相比较,本文算法获得了较高的OA和Kappa分类精度,提高了各个尺度地物的分类精度,有效抑止了地物分类结果中的椒盐噪声现象,同时保持大尺度地物的区域性和小尺度地物的细节信息。     

A local approach to optimize the scale parameter in multiresolution segmentation for multispectral imagery

The results obtained using the object-based image analysis approach for remote sensing image analysis depend strongly on the quality of the segmentation step. In this paper, to optimize the scale parameter in a multiresolution segmentation, we analyse a high-resolution image of a large and heterogeneous agricultural area. This approach is based on using a set of agricultural plots extracted from official maps as uniform spatial units. The scale parameter is then optimized in each uniform spatial unit. Intra-object and inter-object heterogeneity measurements are used to evaluate each segmentation. To avoid subsegmentation, some oversegmentation is allowed, but is attenuated in a second step using the spectral difference segmentation algorithm. The statistical distribution of the scale parameter is not equal in all land uses, indicating the soundness of this local approach. A quantitative assessment of the results was also conducted for the different land covers. The results indicate that the spectral contrast between objects is larger with the local approach than with the global approach. These differences were statistically significant in all land uses except irrigated fruit trees and greenhouses. In the absence of subsegmentation, this suggests that the objects will be placed far apart in the space of variables, even if they are very close in the physical space. This is an obvious advantage in a subsequent classification of the objects.