AUTOMATED VERIFICATION OF A TOPOGRAPHIC DATASET USING IKONOS IMAGERY

Quality of an authoritative topographic reference dataset is important since it is the basis for many applications. Verification of such data is classified as being part of quality management in this paper. The main topic is the automated verification of the German topographic reference dataset ATKIS using orthorectified IKONOS imagery. The objects from the dataset are compared to an up-todate orthoimage in order to obtain information on their quality. The main objects of interest are roads, built-up and vegetation areas. As it is assumed that most of the objects in the database are correct, the strategy is to use the objects of the ATKIS DLMBasis as a starting point. Automatic image operators being able to detect the objects of interest use prior knowledge from the dataset, such as geometrical information. By this means inconsistencies between the ATKIS objects and the image features can be detected. To organise the verification of the data independently from its capture, a semi-automatic working environment has been installed. In the interactive step the human operator just has to focus on the objects not being accepted in the automatic run. In this paper we introduce the whole system, we then focus on an envisaged extension towards the verification of additional object classes, for example the differentiation between deciduous and coniferous forests or between cropland and grassland. To realise this extension, radiometric as well as structural features are defined. Concepts and examples for the implementation of the extensions are presented.