A Neural Network Landuse Classifier for SAR Images Using Textural and Fractal Information

Abstract

Artificial neural networks (ANN) have recently been popularly used in image classification. Input features to most ANNs are extracted based on a one class per pixel basis. This requires a large number of training samples and thus a slow training rate. In this paper, we describe the use of a windowing technique to extract textural features such as average intensity, second moment of intensity histogram and fractal surface dimension from an image. This method of image characterization reduces the number of training samples efficiently, yet retains a reasonable overall classification accuracy. The ANN is trained based on the back‐error propagation algorithm. The method is applied for landuse classification of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. An example is given for a site in Kedah State, Malaysia. The SAR images (HH,HV,VV) were taken by the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) CV‐580 airborne C‐band SAR system in November 1993 during their GlobeSAR mission in Malaysia. These multi‐polarization SAR images are co‐registered with a Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) channel 5 image from same area. An overall classification accuracy of about 86.95% is achieved using windowing technique, as compared to 68.22% based on one class per pixel approach. This shows that through fractal and textural information, the windowing technique when applied in an ANN classifier has a great potential in remote sensing applications.