Progressing from object-based to object-oriented image analysis

This research describes an advanced workflow of an object-based image analysis approach. In comparison to the existing two-staged workflow where typically a segmentation step is followed by a classification step, a new workflow is illustrated where the objects themselves are altered constantly in order to move from object primitives in an early stage towards objects of interest in a final stage of the analysis. Consequently, this workflow can be called “object-oriented,” due to the fact that the objects are not only used as information carriers but are modelled with the continuous extraction and accumulation of expert knowledge. For better demonstration, an existing study on single tree detection using laser scanning data is exploited to demonstrate the theoretical approach in an authentic environment.