A thinning-based method for recognizing and extracting peri-urban road networks from SPOT panchromatic images

In this paper we describe a method for recognizing and extracting the road network in peri-urban areas using SPOT panchromatic images. A particular combination of image representation description algorithms is proposed, which recognizes road features-not clearly defined in remotely sensed images and often confused with other features- and extracts them. The method consists of five algorithms-thresholding, morphological, thinning, linking, and gap filling-that arc used sequentially. The only human intervention required is the definition of a threshold. The proposed approach produces a raster road network representation that is highly complete and locationally accurate. Some experimental results are given in this paper.