A new approach to the application of conflict redistribution rule in Satellite Image Classification

Abstract

Nowadays solution of different scientific problems using satellite images, generally includes a classification procedure. Classification is one of the most important procedures used in remote sensing, because it involves a lot of mathematical operations and data preprocessing. The processing of information and combining of conflicting data is a very difficult problem in classification tasks. Nowadays many classification methods are applied in remote sensing. Classification of conflicting data has been a key problem, both from a theoretical and practical point of view. But a lot of known classification methods can not deal with highly conflicted data and uncertainty. The main purpose of this article is to apply proportional conflict redistribution rule (PRC5) for satellite image classification in conditions of uncertainty, when conflicting sources of evidence give incomplete and vague information. This rule can process conflicting data and combine conflicting bodies of evidence (spectral bands). Proportional conflict redistribution rule can redistribute the partial conflicting mass proportionally on non-empty sets involved in the conflict. It was noticed, that this rule can provide a construction of aggregated estimate under conflict. It calculates all partial conflicting masses separately. It was also shown, that proportional conflict redistribution rule is the most mathematically exact redistribution of conflicting mass to non-empty set. But this rule consists of difficult calculation procedures. The more hypotheses and more masses are involved in the fusion, the more difficult is to implement proportional conflict redistribution rule, therefore special computer software should be used. It was considered an example of practical use of the proposed conflict redistribution rule. It also was noticed, that this new approach to the application of conflict redistribution rule in satellite image classification can be applied for analysis of satellite images, solving practical and ecological tasks, assessment of agricultural lands, classification of forests, in searching for oil and gas.