Methodology of Data Fusion Using Deep Learning for Semantic Segmentation of Land Types in the Amazon

This study proposes a methodology using deep learning and a multi-resolution segmentation algorithm to perform the semantic segmentation of remote sensing images. Initially the image is segmented using a CNN, and then an image with homogeneous regions is generated using a multi-resolution segmentation algorithm. Finally, a data fusion process is performed with these two images, generating the final classified image. The field of study was the Brazilian Amazon region. The proposed methodology classifies images in the following classes: forest, pasture and agriculture. The input data used were LANDSAT-8/OLI images. The reference data were extracted from the results of the TerraClass project in 2014. Two datasets were evaluated: the first with six bands and the second with three bands. Three CNN architectures were evaluated together with three optimization methods: SGDM, ADAM, and RMSProp and the dropout and L-2 regularization methods as methods for generalization improvement. The best model, CNN optimization method technique for generalization improvement, evaluated in the validation set, was submitted to a 5-fold cross validation methodology, and the results were compared with pre-trained networks using the learning transfer methodology; in this case the networks used for comparison were ResNet50, InceptionResnetv2, MobileNetv2 and Xception. The proposed methodology was evaluated through image segmentation of some regions of the Amazon. Finally, the proposed methodology was evaluated in regions used by other authors. The accuracy values obtained for the images evaluated were over 99%.