A semi-automatic high resolution SAR data interpretation procedure

This paper describes a semi-automatic procedure for cartographic mapping using high resolution SAR data. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional feature extractions are combined in order to achieve a basic yet effective recognition of the elements in the scene. Many interesting elements of the landscape are automatically extracted without requiring a large interaction with the operator. In particular, the procedure is well suited for detecting man-made features, such are the road network (outside and inside human settlements) and built up areas. It can be used, however, to extract higher level elements of the scene, such as crossroads, bridges and overpasses, by data fusion at the feature level of the previous extraction, because it is characterized by a multi-scale object-based approach.