Incorporating uncertanity into Markov random field classification with the combine use of optical and SAR images and aduptive fuzzy mean vector

Abstract. A Markov Random Field (MRF) model accounting for the classification uncertainty using multisource satellite images and an adaptive fuzzy class mean vector is proposed in this study. The work also highlights the initialization of the class values for an MRF based classification for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images using optical data. The model uses the contextual information from the optical image pixels and the SAR pixel intensity with corresponding fuzzy grade of memberships respectively, in the classification mechanism. Sub pixel class fractions estimated using Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) from the optical image initializes the class arrangement for the MRF process. Pair-site interactions of the pixels are used to model the prior energy from the initial class arrangement. Fuzzy class mean vector from the SAR intensity pixels is calculated using Fuzzy C-means (FCM) partitioning. Conditional probability for each class was determined by a Gamma distribution for the SAR image. Simulated annealing (SA) to minimize the global energy was executed using a logarithmic and power-law combined annealing schedule. Proposed technique was tested using an Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) phased array type L-band SAR (PALSAR) and Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer-2 (AVNIR-2) data set over a disaster effected urban region in Japan. Proposed method and the conventional MRF results were evaluated with neural network (NN) and support vector machine (SVM) based classifications. The results suggest the possible integration of an adaptive fuzzy class mean vector and multisource data is promising for imprecise class discrimination using a MRF based classification.