363 research outputs found
Statistical modeling of polarimetric SAR data: a survey and challenges
Knowledge of the exact statistical properties of the signal plays an important role in the applications of Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PolSAR) data. In the last three decades, a considerable research effort has been devoted to finding accurate statistical models for PolSAR data, and a number of distributions have been proposed. In order to see the differences of various models and to make a comparison among them, a survey is provided in this paper. Texture models, which could capture the non-Gaussian behavior observed in high resolution data, and yet keep a compact mathematical form, are mainly explained. Probability density functions for the single look data and the multilook data are reviewed, as well as the advantages and applicable context of those models. As a summary, challenges in the area of statistical analysis of PolSAR data are also discussed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Constant False Alarm Rate Target Detection in Synthetic Aperture Radar Imagery
Target detection plays a significant role in many synthetic aperture radar (SAR) applications, ranging from surveillance of military tanks and enemy territories to crop monitoring in agricultural uses. Detection of targets faces two major problems namely, first, how to remotely acquire high resolution images of targets, second, how to efficiently extract information regarding features of clutter-embedded targets. The first problem is addressed by the use of high penetration radar like synthetic aperture radar. The second problem is tackled by efficient algorithms for accurate and fast detection. So far, there are many methods of target detection for SAR imagery available such as CFAR, generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) method, multiscale autoregressive method, wavelet transform based method etc. The CFAR method has been extensively used because of its attractive features like simple computation and fast detection of targets. The CFAR algorithm incorporates precise statistical description of background clutter which determines how accurately target detection is achieved. The primary goal of this project is to investigate the statistical distribution of SAR background clutter from homogeneous and heterogeneous ground areas and analyze suitability of statistical distributions mathematically modelled for SAR clutter. The threshold has to be accurately computed based on statistical distribution so as to efficiently distinguish target from SAR clutter. Several distributions such as lognormal, Weibull, K, KK, G0, generalized Gamma (GGD) distributions are considered for clutter amplitude modeling in SAR images. The CFAR detection algorithm based on appropriate background clutter distribution is applied to moving and stationary target acquisition and recognition (MSTAR) images. The experimental results show that, CFAR detector based on GGD outmatches CFAR detectors based on lognormal, Weibull, K, KK, G0 distributions in terms of accuracy and computation time.
Polarimetric SAR Image Segmentation with B-Splines and a New Statistical Model
We present an approach for polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image
region boundary detection based on the use of B-Spline active contours and a
new model for polarimetric SAR data: the GHP distribution. In order to detect
the boundary of a region, initial B-Spline curves are specified, either
automatically or manually, and the proposed algorithm uses a deformable
contours technique to find the boundary. In doing this, the parameters of the
polarimetric GHP model for the data are estimated, in order to find the
transition points between the region being segmented and the surrounding area.
This is a local algorithm since it works only on the region to be segmented.
Results of its performance are presented
A robust nonlinear scale space change detection approach for SAR images
In this paper, we propose a change detection approach based on nonlinear scale space analysis of change images for robust detection of various changes incurred by natural phenomena and/or human activities in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images using Maximally Stable Extremal Regions (MSERs). To achieve this, a variant of the log-ratio image of multitemporal images is calculated which is followed by Feature Preserving Despeckling (FPD) to generate nonlinear scale space images exhibiting different trade-offs in terms of speckle reduction and shape detail preservation. MSERs of each scale space image are found and then combined through a decision level fusion strategy, namely "selective scale fusion" (SSF), where contrast and boundary curvature of each MSER are considered. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated using real multitemporal high resolution TerraSAR-X images and synthetically generated multitemporal images composed of shapes with several orientations, sizes, and backscatter amplitude levels representing a variety of possible signatures of change. One of the main outcomes of this approach is that different objects having different sizes and levels of contrast with their surroundings appear as stable regions at different scale space images thus the fusion of results from scale space images yields a good overall performance
Hierarchical Segmentation of Polarimetric SAR Images Using Heterogeneous Clutter Models
International audienceIn this paper, heterogeneous clutter models are used to describe polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data. The KummerU distribution is introduced to model the PolSAR clutter. Then, a detailed analysis is carried out to evaluate the potential of this new multivariate distribution. It is implemented in a hierarchical maximum likelihood segmentation algorithm. The segmentation results are shown on both synthetic and high-resolution PolSAR data at the X- and L-bands. Finally, some methods are examined to determine automatically the "optimal" number of segments in the final partition
Modeling the statistics of high resolution SAR images
In the context of remotely sensed data analysis, a crucial problem is represented by the need to develop accurate models for the statistics of pixel intensities. In this work, we develop a parametric finite mixture model for modelling the statistics of intensities in high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Along with the models we design an efficient parameter estimation scheme by integrating the Stochastic Expectation Maximization scheme and the Method of log-cumulants with an automatic technique to select, for each mixture component, an optimal parametric model taken from a predefined dictionary of parametric probability density functions (pdf). In particular, the proposed dictionary consists of eight most efficient state-of-the-art SAR-specific pdfs: Nakagami, log-normal, generalized Gaussian Rayleigh, Heavy-tailed Rayleigh, Weibull, K-root, Fisher and generalized Gamma. The experiment results with a set of several real SAR (COSMO-SkyMed) images demonstrate the high accuracy of the designed algorithm, both from the viewpoint of a visual comparison of the histograms, and from the viewpoint of quantitive measures such as correlation coefficient (always above 99,5%) . We stress, in particular, that the method proves to be effective on all the considered images, remaining accurate for multimodal and highly heterogeneous images
Electromagnetic models for ultrasound image processing
Speckle noise appears when coherent illumination is employed, as for example Laser, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Sonar, Magnetic Resonance, X-ray and Ultrasound imagery. Backscattered echoes from the randomly distributed scatterers in the microscopic structure of the medium are the origin of speckle phenomenon, which characterizes coherent imaging with a granular appearance. It can be shown that speckle noise is of multiplicative nature, strongly correlated and more importantly, with non-Gaussian statistics. These characteristics differ greatly from the traditional assumption of white additive Gaussian noise, often taken in image segmentation, filtering, and in general, image processing; which leads to reduction of the methods effectiveness for final image information extraction; therefore, this kind of noise severely impairs human and machine ability to image interpretation.
Statistical modeling is of particular relevance when dealing with speckled data in order to obtain efficient image processing algorithms; but, additionally, clinical ultrasound imaging systems employ nonlinear signal processing to reduce the dynamic range of the input echo signal to match the smaller dynamic range of the display device and to emphasize objects with weak backscatter. This reduction in dynamic range is normally achieved through a logarithmic amplifier i.e. logarithmic compression, which selectively compresses large input signals. This kind of nonlinear compression totally changes the statistics of the input envelope signal; and, a closed form expression for the density function of the logarithmic transformed data is usually hard to derive.
This thesis is concerned with the statistical distributions of the Log-compressed amplitude signal in coherent imagery, and its main objective is to develop a general statistical model for log-compressed ultrasound B-scan images. The developed model is adapted, making the pertinent physical analogies, from the multiplicative model in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) context. It is shown that the proposed model can successfully describe log-compressed data generated from different models proposed in the specialized ultrasound image processing literature. Also, the model is successfully applied to model in-vivo echo-cardiographic (ultrasound) B-scan images. Necessary theorems are established to account for a rigorous mathematical proof of the validity and generality of the model. Additionally, a physical interpretation of the parameters is given, and the connections between the generalized central limit theorems, the multiplicative model and the compound representations approaches for the different models proposed up-to-date, are established. It is shown that the log-amplifier parameters are included as model parameters and all the model parameters are estimated using moments and maximum likelihood methods. Finally, three applications are developed: speckle noise identification and filtering; segmentation of in vivo echo-cardiographic (ultrasound) B-scan images and a novel approach for heart ejection fraction evaluationEl ruido Speckle aparece cuando se utilizan sistemas de iluminación coherente, como por ejemplo Láser, Radar de Apertura Sintética (SAR), Sonar, Resonancia Magnética, rayos X y ultrasonidos. Los ecos dispersados por los centros dispersores distribuidos al azar en la estructura microscópica del medio son el origen de este fenómeno, que caracteriza las imágenes coherentes con un aspecto granular. Se puede demostrar que el ruido Speckle es de carácter multiplicativo, fuertemente correlacionados y lo más importante, con estadística no Gaussiana. Estas características son muy diferentes de la suposición tradicional de ruido aditivo gaussiano blanco, a menudo asumida en la segmentación de imágenes, filtrado, y en general, en el procesamiento de imágenes; lo cual se traduce en la reducción de la eficacia de los métodos para la extracción de información de la imagen final. La modelización estadística es de particular relevancia cuando se trata con datos Speckle, a fin de obtener algoritmos de procesamiento de imágenes eficientes. Además, el procesamiento no lineal de señales empleado en sistemas clínicos de imágenes por ultrasonido para reducir el rango dinámico de la señal de eco de entrada de manera que coincida con el rango dinámico más pequeño del dispositivo de visualización y resaltar así los objetos con dispersión más débil, modifica radicalmente la estadística de los datos. Esta reducción en el rango dinámico se logra normalmente a través de un amplificador logarítmico es decir, la compresión logarítmica, que comprime selectivamente las señales de entrada y una forma analítica para la expresión de la función de densidad de los datos transformados logarítmicamente es por lo general difícil de derivar. Esta tesis se centra en las distribuciones estadísticas de la amplitud de la señal comprimida logarítmicamente en las imágenes coherentes, y su principal objetivo es el desarrollo de un modelo estadístico general para las imágenes por ultrasonido comprimidas logarítmicamente en modo-B. El modelo desarrollado se adaptó, realizando las analogías físicas relevantes, del modelo multiplicativo en radares de apertura sintética (SAR). El Modelo propuesto puede describir correctamente los datos comprimidos logarítmicamente a partir datos generados con los diferentes modelos propuestos en la literatura especializada en procesamiento de imágenes por ultrasonido. Además, el modelo se aplica con éxito para modelar ecocardiografías en vivo. Se enuncian y demuestran los teoremas necesarios para dar cuenta de una demostración matemática rigurosa de la validez y generalidad del modelo. Además, se da una interpretación física de los parámetros y se establecen las conexiones entre el teorema central del límite generalizado, el modelo multiplicativo y la composición de distribuciones para los diferentes modelos propuestos hasta a la fecha. Se demuestra además que los parámetros del amplificador logarítmico se incluyen dentro de los parámetros del modelo y se estiman usando los métodos estándar de momentos y máxima verosimilitud. Por último, tres aplicaciones se desarrollan: filtrado de ruido Speckle, segmentación de ecocardiografías y un nuevo enfoque para la evaluación de la fracción de eyección cardiaca.Postprint (published version
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