Object-based multiscale segmentation incorporating texture and edge features of high-resolution remote sensing images

Multiscale segmentation (MSS) is crucial in object-based image analysis methods (OBIA). How to describe the underlying features of remote sensing images and combine multiple features for object-based multiscale image segmentation is a hotspot in the field of OBIA. Traditional object-based segmentation methods mostly use spectral and shape features of remote sensing images and pay less attention to texture and edge features. We analyze traditional image segmentation methods and object-based MSS methods. Then, on the basis of comparing image texture feature description methods, a method for remote sensing image texture feature description based on time-frequency analysis is proposed. In addition, a method for measuring the texture heterogeneity of image objects is constructed on this basis. Using bottom-up region merging as an MSS strategy, an object-based MSS algorithm for remote sensing images combined with texture feature is proposed. Finally, based on the edge feature of remote sensing images, a description method of remote sensing image edge intensity and an edge fusion cost criterion are proposed. Combined with the heterogeneity criterion, an object-based MSS algorithm combining spectral, shape, texture, and edge features is proposed. Experiment results show that the comprehensive features object-based MSS algorithm proposed in this article can obtain more complete segmentation objects when segmenting ground objects with rich texture information and slender shapes and is not prone to over-segmentation. Compare with the traditional object-based segmentation algorithm, the average accuracy of the algorithm is increased by 4.54%, and the region ratio is close to 1, which will be more conducive to the subsequent processing and analysis of remote sensing images. In addition, the object-based MSS algorithm proposed in this article can effectively obtain more complete ground objects and can be widely used in scenes such as building extraction.