3D Terrain Matching Algorithm and Performance Analysis Based on 3D Zernike Moments

A new 3D terrain matching method based on 3D Zernike moments is presented in this paper. In this new algorithm, 3D Zernike moments which are one-to-one correspondence with the 3D terrain are proposed to represent the reference DEM (digital elevation map) and recovered DEM (REM). Then 3D terrain matching can be converted to the eigenvector matching based on 3D Zernike moments. The similarity degree of two pieces of terrain is measured by the Camberra distance between their 3D Zernike moments. The smaller Camberra distance is, the more alike two pieces of terrain are, and vice versa. Our method is a kind of matching based on surface feature. Theoretical and experimental results shows that compared with those based on point feature and line feature this method possesses higher matching possibility, matching precision and anti-noise capability.