Contextual and Hierarchical Classification of
Satellite Images Based on Cellular Automata

Moises Espinola, Jose A. Piedra-Fernandez, Rosa Ayala, Luis Iribarne
University of Almeria, Spain

James Z. Wang
The Pennsylvania State University

Abstract:

Satellite image classification is an important technique used in remote sensing for the computerized analysis and pattern recognition of satellite data, which facilitates the automated interpretation of a large amount of information. Today there exist many types of classification algorithms, such as parallelepiped and minimum distance classifiers, but it is still necessary to improve their performance in terms of accuracy rate. On the other hand, over the last few decades cellular automata have been used in remote sensing to implement processes related to simulations. Although there is little previous research of cellular automata related to satellite image classification, they offer many advantages that can improve the results of classical classification algorithms. This paper discusses the development of a new classification Algorithm based on Cellular Automata (ACA) which not only improves the classification accuracy rate in satellite images by using contextual techniques, but also offers a hierarchical classification of pixels divided into levels of membership degree to each class and includes a spatial edge detection method of classes in the satellite image.


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Citation: Moises Espinola, Jose A. Piedra-Fernandez, Rosa Ayala, Luis Iribarne and James Z. Wang, ``Contextual and Hierarchical Classification of Satellite Images Based on Cellular Automata,'' IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 795-809, 2015.

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Last Modified: June 2, 2014
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