Kisha Johnson

Multiresolution registration of remote sensing imagery by optimization of mutual information using a stochastic gradient

Image registration is the process by which we determine a transformation that provides the most accurate match between two images. The search for the matching transformation can be automated with the use of a suitable metric, but it can be very time-consuming and tedious. We introduce a registration algorithm that combines a simple yet powerful search strategy based on a stochastic gradient with two similarity measures, correlation and mutual information, together with a wavelet-based multiresolution pyramid. We limit our study to pairs of images, which are misaligned by rotation and/or translation, and present two main results. First, we demonstrate that, in our application, mutual information may be better suited for sub-pixel registration as it produces consistently sharper optimum peaks than correlation. Then, we show that the stochastic gradient search combined with either measure produces accurate results when applied to synthetic data, as well as to multitemporal or multisensor collections of satellite data. Mutual information is generally found to optimize with one-third the number of iterations required by correlation. Results also show that a multiresolution implementation of the algorithm yields significant improvements in terms of both speed and robustness over a single-resolution implementation.

Mutual information as a similarity measure for remote sensing image registration

Feature-based matching is essential for attaining sub-pixel registration of remotely sensed imagery. In this work, we focus on two different similarity metrics which are used to match extracted features, correlation and mutual information. Although mutual information has been successfully applied to medical image registration, these metrics have not been systematically studied for remote sensing applications. This paper presents some first results in the comparison of correlation and mutual information, relative to their respective accuracy and response to noise. The study is performed using Landsat-TM data.

Multiresolution registration of remote sensing images using stochastic gradient

In image registration, we determine the most accurate match between two images, which may have been taken at the same or different times by different or identical sensors. In the past, correlation and mutual information have been used as similarity measures for determining the best match for remote sensing images. Mutual information or relative entropy is a concept from information theory that measures the statistical dependence between two random variables, or equivalently it measures the amount of information that one variable contains about another. This concept has been successfully applied to automatically register remote sensing images based on the assumption that the mutual information of the image intensity pairs is maximized when the images are geometrically aligned. The transformation which maximizes a given similarity measure has been previously determined using exhaustive search, but this has been found to be inefficient and computationally expensive. In this paper we utilize a new simple, yet powerful technique based on stochastic gradient, for the maximization of both similarity measures with remote-sensing images, and we compare its performance to that of the exhaustive search. We initially consider images, which are misaligned by a rotation and/or translation only, and we compare the accuracy and efficiency of a registration scheme based on optimization for this data. In addition, the effect of wavelet pre-processing on the efficiency of a multi- resolution registration scheme is determined, using Daubechies wavelets. Finally we evaluate this optimization scheme for the registration of satellite images obtained at different times, and from different sensors. It is noted that once a correct optimization result is obtained at one of the coarser levels in the multi-resolution scheme, then the registration process is much faster in achieving subpixel accuracy, and is more robust when compared to a single level optimization. Mutual information was generally found to optimize in about one third the time required by correlation.

Multiresolution image registration of remotely sensed imagery using mutual information

Wavelet-based image registration has previously been proposed by the authors. In previous work, maxima obtained from orthogonal Daubechies filters as well as from Simoncelli steerable filters were utilized and compared to register images with a multi-resolution correlation technique. Previous comparative studies between both types of filters have shown that the accuracy obtained with orthogonal filters seemed to degrade very quickly for large rotations and large amounts of noise, while results obtained with steerable filters appeared much more stable under these conditions. In other studies based on the use of mutual information for image registration, several authors have shown that maximizing mutual information enables one to reach sub-pixel registration accuracy. In this work, we are utilizing Simoncelli steerable filters to provide the basic data from which mutual information is maximized and we are applying this method to remotely sensed imagery.

Multi-Sensor Registration of Earth Remotely Sensed Imagery

Assuming that approximate registration is given within a few pixels by a systematic correction system, we develop automatic image registration methods for multi-sensor data with the goal of achieving sub-pixel accuracy. Automatic image registration is usually defined by three steps; feature extraction, feature matching, and data resampling or fusion. Our previous work focused on image correlation methods based on the use of different features. In this paper, we study different feature matching techniques and present five algorithms where the features are either original gray levels or wavelet-like features, and the feature matching is based on gradient descent optimization, statistical robust matching, and mutual information. These algorithms are tested and compared on several multi-sensor datasets covering one of the EOS Core Sites, the Konza Prairie in Kansas, from four different sensors: IKONOS (4m), Landsat-7/ETM+ (30 m), MODIS (500 m), and SeaWIFS (1000m).

Multiple sensor image registration, image fusion and dimension reduction of Earth science imagery

The goal of our project is to develop and evaluate image analysis methodologies for use on the ground or on-board spacecraft particularly spacecraft constellations. Our focus is on developing methods to perform automatic registration and fusion of multisensor data representing multiple spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions, as well as dimension reduction of hyperspectral data. Feature extraction methods such as wavelet decomposition, edge detection and mutual information are combined with feature matching methods such as cross-correlation, optimization, and statistically robust techniques to perform image registration. The approach to image fusion is application-based and involves wavelet decomposition, dimension reduction, and classification methods. Dimension reduction is approached through novel methods based on principal component analysis and wavelet decomposition, and implemented on Beowulf-type parallel architectures. Registration algorithms are tested and compared on several multi-sensor datasets, including one of the EOS Core Sites, the Konza Prairie in Kansas, utilizing four different sensors: IKONOS, Landsat-7/ETM+, MODIS, and SeaWIFS. Fusion methods are tested using Landsat, MODIS and SAR or JERS data. Dimension reduction is demonstrated on A VIRIS hyperspectral data.

Image registration using a 2/sup nd/ order stochastic optimization of mutual information

We extend the stochastic gradient optimization used in a mutual information-based registration algorithm to include second-order (Hessian) effects with the aim of accelerating its convergence rate. We consider images, which are misaligned by a four parameter rigid transformation, consisting of scale, rotation and/or x- and y-translations, and we present the results of optimization using a second-order stochastic derivative. The algorithm is applied to a pair of multi-temporal satellite images, and is implemented in a multi-resolution manner using wavelets. Results are presented for an implementation, which switches after a fixed number of iterations, from the first-order scheme to the second-order one.