Land cover classification using fuzzy rules and aggregation of contextual information through evidence theory

Land cover classification using multispectral satellite image is a very challenging task with numerous practical applications. We propose a multi-stage classifier that involves fuzzy rule extraction from the training data and then generation of a possibilistic label vector for each pixel using the fuzzy rule base. To exploit the spatial correlation of land cover types we propose four different information aggregation methods which use the possibilistic class label of a pixel and those of its eight spatial neighbors for making the final classification decision. Three of the aggregation methods use Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence while the remaining one is modeled after the fuzzy k-NN rule. The proposed methods are tested with two benchmark seven channel satellite images and the results are found to be quite satisfactory. They are also compared with a Markov random field (MRF) model-based contextual classification method and found to perform consistently better.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Methods of digital classification accuracy assessment

Landcover classification of remotely sensed data has found many useful applications in industries such as forestry, agriculture, and defense. With the push toward end users, class maps are often incorporated directly into geographical information systems for use in solving large, complex problems. However, errors are inherent in the classification process. The importance of assessing the thematic accuracy of data derived from remote sensing platforms is universally recognized and has motivated much research. Classification accuracy assessment is often required to determine the fitness of use or suitability of a data set for a particular application. Failure to identify the magnitude of inaccuracies in classified data can result in errors cascading into subsequent exploitation and eventually result in false conclusions or flawed products. Many different techniques have been developed and utilized by the remote sensing community for performing thematic accuracy assessment. To date, no one procedure has been adopted as an industry-wide standard. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness and compare the results of several state-of-the-art assessment techniques. Synthetically generated imagery, along with real multispectral line scanner data, served as the baseline for the comparison. Synthetic imagery is uniquely suited for this task because the exact classification accuracy can be determined

Land-Cover and Land-Use Study Using Genetic Algorithms, Petri Nets, and Cellular Automata

Recent research techniques, such as genetic algorithm (GA), Petri net (PN), and cellular automata (CA) have been applied in a number of studies. However, their capability and performance in land-cover land-use (LCLU) classification, change detection, and predictive modeling have not been well understood. This study seeks to address the following questions: 1) How do genetic parameters impact the accuracy of GA-based LCLU classification; 2) How do image parameters impact the accuracy of GA-based LCLU classification; 3) Is GA-based LCLU classification more accurate than the maximum likelihood classifier (MLC), iterative self-organizing data analysis technique (ISODATA), and the hybrid approach; 4) How do genetic parameters impact Petri Net-based LCLU change detection; and 5) How do cellular automata components impact the accuracy of LCLU predictive modeling. The study area, namely the Tickfaw River watershed (711mi²), is located in southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi. The major datasets include time-series Landsat TM / ETM images and Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles (DOQQ’s). LCLU classification was conducted by using the GA, MLC, ISODATA, and Hybrid approach. The LCLU change was modeled by using genetic PN-based process mining technique. The process models were interpreted and input to a CA for predicting future LCLU. The major findings include: 1) GA-based LCLU classification is more accurate than the traditional approaches; 2) When genetic parameters, image parameters, or CA components are configured improperly, the accuracy of LCLU classification, the coverage of LCLU change process model, and/or the accuracy of LCLU predictive modeling will be low; 3) For GA-based LCLU classification, the recommended configuration of genetic / image parameters is generation 2000-5000, population 1000, crossover rate 69%-99%, mutation rate 0.1%-0.5%, generation gap 25%-50%, data layers 16-20, training / testing data size 10000-20000 / 5000-10000, and spatial resolution 30m-60m; 4) For genetic Petri nets-based LCLU change detection, the recommended configuration of genetic parameters is generation 500, population 300, crossover rate 59%, mutation rate 5%, and elitism rate 4%; and 5) For CA-based LCLU predictive modeling, the recommended configuration of CA components is space 6025 * 12993, state 2, von Neumann neighborhood 3 * 3, time step 2-3 years, and optimized transition rules

Comparison of Accuracy Measures for RS Image Classification using SVM and ANN Classifiers

The accurate land use land cover (LULC) classifications from satellite imagery are prominent for land use planning, climatic change detection and eco-environment monitoring. This paper investigates the accuracy and reliability of Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for classifying multi-spectral image of Hyderabad and its surroundings area and also compare its performance with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) classifier. In this paper, a hybrid technique which we refer to as Fuzzy Incorporated Hierarchical clustering has been proposed for clustering the multispectral satellite images into LULC sectors. The experimental results show that overall accuracies of LULC classification of the Hyderabad and its surroundings area are approximately 93.159% for SVM and 89.925% for ANN. The corresponding kappa coefficient values are 0.893 and 0.843. The classified results show that the SVM yields a very promising performance than the ANN in LULC classification of high resolution Landsat-8 satellite images

Land Use And Land Cover Classification And Change Detection Using Naip Imagery From 2009 To 2014: Table Rock Lake Region, Missouri

Land use and land cover (LULC) of Table Rock Lake (TRL) region has changed over the last half century after the construction of Table Rock Dam in 1959. This study uses one meter spatial resolution imagery to classify and detect the change of LULC of three typical waterside TRL regions. The main objectives are to provide an efficient and reliable classification workflow for regional level NAIP aerial imagery and identify the dynamic patterns for study areas. Seven class types are extracted by optimal classification results from year 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 of Table Rock Village, Kimberling City and Indian Point. Pixel-based post-classification comparison generated from-to” confusion matrices showing the detailed change patterns. I conclude that object-based random trees achieve the highest overall accuracy and kappa value, compared with the other six classification approaches, and is efficient to make a LULC classification map. Major change patterns are that vegetation, including trees and grass, increased during the last five years period while residential extension and urbanization process is not obvious to indicate high economic development in the TRL region. By adding auxiliary spatial information and object-based post-classification techniques, an improved classification procedure can be utilized for LULC change detection projects at the region level

Classification of Satellite Images by means of Fuzzy Rules generated by a Genetic Algorithm

The data acquired by Remote Sensing systems allow obtaining thematic maps of the earth's surface, by means of the registered image classification. This implies the identification and categorization of all pixels into land cover classes. Traditionally, methods based on statistical parameters have been widely used, although they show some disadvantages. Nevertheless, some authors indicate that those methods based on artificial intelligence, may be a good alternative. Thus, fuzzy classifiers, which are based on Fuzzy Logic, include additional information in the classification process through based-rule systems. In this work, we propose the use of a genetic algorithm (GA) to select the optimal and minimum set of fuzzy rules to classify remotely sensed images. Input information of GA has been obtained through the training space determined by two uncorrelated spectral bands (2D scatter diagrams), which has been irregularly divided by five linguistic terms defined in each band. The proposed methodology has been applied to Landsat-TM images and it has showed that this set of rules provides a higher accuracy level in the classification proces

Enabling Explainable Fusion in Deep Learning with Fuzzy Integral Neural Networks

Information fusion is an essential part of numerous engineering systems and biological functions, e.g., human cognition. Fusion occurs at many levels, ranging from the low-level combination of signals to the high-level aggregation of heterogeneous decision-making processes. While the last decade has witnessed an explosion of research in deep learning, fusion in neural networks has not observed the same revolution. Specifically, most neural fusion approaches are ad hoc, are not understood, are distributed versus localized, and/or explainability is low (if present at all). Herein, we prove that the fuzzy Choquet integral (ChI), a powerful nonlinear aggregation function, can be represented as a multi-layer network, referred to hereafter as ChIMP. We also put forth an improved ChIMP (iChIMP) that leads to a stochastic gradient descent-based optimization in light of the exponential number of ChI inequality constraints. An additional benefit of ChIMP/iChIMP is that it enables eXplainable AI (XAI). Synthetic validation experiments are provided and iChIMP is applied to the fusion of a set of heterogeneous architecture deep models in remote sensing. We show an improvement in model accuracy and our previously established XAI indices shed light on the quality of our data, model, and its decisions.Comment: IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy System