A mapping method for 3D satellite and sensor images using a road extraction algorithm for occlusion processing of virtual targets

Abstract

Augmented reality is a challenging issue in computer-based training (CBT) when a previous training process that required a large amount of resources is changed to a training simulation technique. This paper describes the results of the research and development of algorithms that are based on a virtual target display on a real CCD image with a specific scenario for a realistic training simulation. We created a realistic 3D model with a high resolution geographic tag image file format (GeoTIFF) satellite image and digital terrain elevation data (DTED), and we extracted the road area from a given sensor image with an existing and enhanced snake algorithm for the occlusion processing. We also propose a moving synchronisation technique that projects the target onto the sensor image according to the marked moving path on a 3D satellite image by applying a thin-plate-spline (TPS) interpolation function, which is an image warping function, on the two given sets of the corresponding control point pair. The developed algorithms and the implementation results are described. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.