Detection of roads from satellite images using optimal search
Since networks of main roads are basic information for the classification of use of the earth surface, the automatic detection of roads from satellite images is a very important issue. In this paper, a new detection theory is proposed which can overcome drawbacks of current theories and detect plural roads in an image with high speed and high precision. Firstly, binary images representing edges are used to evaluate the possibility for a road to pass on a given pixel. An 8-directions-filter, a clearing filter and a parallel-edge-detection filter are proposed which can bring insufficient local information to each other to obtain global information enough to detect a road and by which the possibility of a road-passing on the pixel can be effectively evaluated. Secondly, by using the Hough transform and the optimal starch method it is possible to detect a complete road. This detection theory does not depend on the size of image and can detect all the roads in an image including intersecting and T-type roads.
hough transform automatic road detection spot satellite image optimal search method image processing pattern recognition