Hierarchical fusion using vector quantization for visualization of hyperspectral images

Visualization of hyperspectral images that combines the data from multiple sensors is a major challenge due to huge data set. An efficient image fusion could be a primary key step for this task. To make the approach computationally efficient and to accommodate a large number of image bands, we propose a hierarchical fusion based on vector quantization and bilateral filtering. The consecutive image bands in the hyperspectral data cube exhibit a high degree of feature similarity among them due to the contiguous and narrow nature of the hyperspectral sensors. Exploiting this redundancy in the data, we fuse neighboring images at every level of hierarchy. As at the first level, the redundancy between the images is very high we use a powerful compression tool, vector quantization, to fuse each group. From second level onwards, each group is fused using bilateral filtering. While vector quantization removes redundancy, bilateral filter retains even the minor details that exist in individual image. The hierarchical fusion scheme helps in accommodating a large number of hyperspectral image bands. It also facilitates the midband visualization of a subset of the hyperspectral image cube. Quantitative performance analysis shows the effectiveness of the proposed method

Dimensionality reduction and hierarchical clustering in framework for hyperspectral image segmentation

The hyperspectral data contains hundreds of narrows bands representing the same scene on earth, with each pixel has a continuous reflectance spectrum. The first attempts to analysehyperspectral images were based on techniques that were developed for multispectral images by randomly selecting few spectral channels, usually less than seven. This random selection of bands degrades the performance of segmentation algorithm on hyperspectraldatain terms of accuracies. In this paper, a new framework is designed for the analysis of hyperspectral image by taking the information from all the data channels with dimensionality reduction method using subset selection and hierarchical clustering. A methodology based on subset construction is used for selecting k informative bands from d bands dataset. In this selection, similarity metrics such as Average Pixel Intensity [API], Histogram Similarity [HS], Mutual Information [MI] and Correlation Similarity [CS] are used to create k distinct subsets and from each subset, a single band is selected. The informative bands which are selected are merged into a single image using hierarchical fusion technique. After getting fused image, Hierarchical clustering algorithm is used for segmentation of image. The qualitative and quantitative analysis shows that CS similarity metric in dimensionality reduction algorithm gets high quality segmented image

A Comprehensive Survey of Deep Learning in Remote Sensing: Theories, Tools and Challenges for the Community

In recent years, deep learning (DL), a re-branding of neural networks (NNs), has risen to the top in numerous areas, namely computer vision (CV), speech recognition, natural language processing, etc. Whereas remote sensing (RS) possesses a number of unique challenges, primarily related to sensors and applications, inevitably RS draws from many of the same theories as CV; e.g., statistics, fusion, and machine learning, to name a few. This means that the RS community should be aware of, if not at the leading edge of, of advancements like DL. Herein, we provide the most comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art RS DL research. We also review recent new developments in the DL field that can be used in DL for RS. Namely, we focus on theories, tools and challenges for the RS community. Specifically, we focus on unsolved challenges and opportunities as it relates to (i) inadequate data sets, (ii) human-understandable solutions for modelling physical phenomena, (iii) Big Data, (iv) non-traditional heterogeneous data sources, (v) DL architectures and learning algorithms for spectral, spatial and temporal data, (vi) transfer learning, (vii) an improved theoretical understanding of DL systems, (viii) high barriers to entry, and (ix) training and optimizing the DL.Comment: 64 pages, 411 references. To appear in Journal of Applied Remote Sensin

Deep learning in remote sensing: a review

Standing at the paradigm shift towards data-intensive science, machine learning techniques are becoming increasingly important. In particular, as a major breakthrough in the field, deep learning has proven as an extremely powerful tool in many fields. Shall we embrace deep learning as the key to all? Or, should we resist a 'black-box' solution? There are controversial opinions in the remote sensing community. In this article, we analyze the challenges of using deep learning for remote sensing data analysis, review the recent advances, and provide resources to make deep learning in remote sensing ridiculously simple to start with. More importantly, we advocate remote sensing scientists to bring their expertise into deep learning, and use it as an implicit general model to tackle unprecedented large-scale influential challenges, such as climate change and urbanization.Comment: Accepted for publication IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazin

Two and three dimensional segmentation of multimodal imagery

The role of segmentation in the realms of image understanding/analysis, computer vision, pattern recognition, remote sensing and medical imaging in recent years has been significantly augmented due to accelerated scientific advances made in the acquisition of image data. This low-level analysis protocol is critical to numerous applications, with the primary goal of expediting and improving the effectiveness of subsequent high-level operations by providing a condensed and pertinent representation of image information. In this research, we propose a novel unsupervised segmentation framework for facilitating meaningful segregation of 2-D/3-D image data across multiple modalities (color, remote-sensing and biomedical imaging) into non-overlapping partitions using several spatial-spectral attributes. Initially, our framework exploits the information obtained from detecting edges inherent in the data. To this effect, by using a vector gradient detection technique, pixels without edges are grouped and individually labeled to partition some initial portion of the input image content. Pixels that contain higher gradient densities are included by the dynamic generation of segments as the algorithm progresses to generate an initial region map. Subsequently, texture modeling is performed and the obtained gradient, texture and intensity information along with the aforementioned initial partition map are used to perform a multivariate refinement procedure, to fuse groups with similar characteristics yielding the final output segmentation. Experimental results obtained in comparison to published/state-of the-art segmentation techniques for color as well as multi/hyperspectral imagery, demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method. Furthermore, for the purpose of achieving improved computational efficiency we propose an extension of the aforestated methodology in a multi-resolution framework, demonstrated on color images. Finally, this research also encompasses a 3-D extension of the aforementioned algorithm demonstrated on medical (Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Computed Tomography) volumes

FactoFormer: Factorized Hyperspectral Transformers with Self-Supervised Pre-Training

Hyperspectral images (HSIs) contain rich spectral and spatial information. Motivated by the success of transformers in the field of natural language processing and computer vision where they have shown the ability to learn long range dependencies within input data, recent research has focused on using transformers for HSIs. However, current state-of-the-art hyperspectral transformers only tokenize the input HSI sample along the spectral dimension, resulting in the under-utilization of spatial information. Moreover, transformers are known to be data-hungry and their performance relies heavily on large-scale pre-training, which is challenging due to limited annotated hyperspectral data. Therefore, the full potential of HSI transformers has not been fully realized. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel factorized spectral-spatial transformer that incorporates factorized self-supervised pre-training procedures, leading to significant improvements in performance. The factorization of the inputs allows the spectral and spatial transformers to better capture the interactions within the hyperspectral data cubes. Inspired by masked image modeling pre-training, we also devise efficient masking strategies for pre-training each of the spectral and spatial transformers. We conduct experiments on three publicly available datasets for HSI classification task and demonstrate that our model achieves state-of-the-art performance in all three datasets. The code for our model will be made available at https://github.com/csiro-robotics/factoformer.Comment: Pre-print of article in 2023 IEEE Trans. on Geoscience and Remote Sensin

Recent Advances in Image Restoration with Applications to Real World Problems

In the past few decades, imaging hardware has improved tremendously in terms of resolution, making widespread usage of images in many diverse applications on Earth and planetary missions. However, practical issues associated with image acquisition are still affecting image quality. Some of these issues such as blurring, measurement noise, mosaicing artifacts, low spatial or spectral resolution, etc. can seriously affect the accuracy of the aforementioned applications. This book intends to provide the reader with a glimpse of the latest developments and recent advances in image restoration, which includes image super-resolution, image fusion to enhance spatial, spectral resolution, and temporal resolutions, and the generation of synthetic images using deep learning techniques. Some practical applications are also included