Using Stereo Satellite Imagery for Topographic and Transportation Applications: An Accuracy Assessment

The launch of the Very High Resolution (VHR) sensor satellites has paved the way for further exploitation of the capabilities of satellite stereo imaging for many applications. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the level of accuracy that can be achieved by using stereo satellite images for different applications involving significantly different types of terrain. Three mathematical models for satellite sensor modeling are used: Rational Function Model (RFM), 3D polynomial model, and 3D affine model. Three stereo pairs of image datasets are tested from different satellites for different areas: (a) Indian Remote Sensing (IRS)-1D stereo images for topographic mapping and digital terrain elevation modeling for an area in Egypt; (b) IKONOS stereo images for highway alignments extraction in Toronto, Canada; and (c) IKONOS stereo images for topographic mapping and geometric parameter extraction for highway alignments in Hong Kong, China. The accuracy was evaluated by comparing the results of the data extracted using stereo satellite images and those extracted from conventional techniques, including Global Positioning System, field measurements, and aerial photogrammetry. The accuracy of the extracted features was found to be within a pixel-level. The results of this paper should be of interest to professionals from different disciplines exploring the use and accuracy of satellite stereo images for topographic and transportation applications.