Ill-configured Object Representation by Neighbour Set with Applications to Aerial Image Analyses

We introduce herein the concept of the ill-configured object (ICO). An ICO is a geometrical object having a stable (unique) name but varying configurations (shape, size, components, and component layout). In addition, we introduce the concept of the neighbour set representation (NSR) of an object, and show that the NSR is well-fitted to the ICO. Moreover, we show that any object, either nonICO or ICO, can be characterized as a solution of a set theoretic equation defined on its NSR. An algorithm is thus designed to detect ICOs in images. Two applications of the proposed theory are then presented. The first is ICO recognition in aerial images, and the second is automatic matching of highly deviated landmark-less images. The latter provides a foundation for automatic land cover change analysis using satellite/aerial images obtained under different conditions (time, height, and direction). * Corresponding author.