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Geographical image processing using GisTool

Article · January 2004

DOI: 10.2316/Journal.202.2004.2.202-1222

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G.K. Adam and V.G. Pappas, "Geographical Image Processing Using GisTool", International Journal of Computers and
Applications, ISSN 1206-212X, Acta Press, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 126-131, 2004.

GEOGRAPHICAL IMAGE PROCESSING USING GISTOOL

G.K. Adam and V.G. Pappas

Department of Planning & Regional Development
University of Thessaly
Pedion Areos
383 34 Volos, Greece
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract

The applications of geographical information management today are various and considerable valuable. However, the need

for proper organization and manipulation of the information provided, particularly online, has been emerged very intensive

nowadays. An attempt was undertaken in this study referring to a research work into the integration of geographical

databases and data analysis tools, using an interactive information management system created for this purpose and called

GisTool. The aim is to provide a proper structure for geographical data management and particular raster image processing,

in order to be used for training, educational and research purposes. Based on this environment the graphical user interface

that has been developed, provides interactive management of geographical information and the opportunity for advanced

users to develop more specific applications. The whole system comprises a flexible structure that is under continuous

improvement and evolvement in order to maintain the geographical information up to date.

Key Words

Image processing, geographical data, statistical analysis.

1. Introduction

The approaches and methodologies used for geographical image data management and analysis in general continuously

evolve in order to assist further the researcher's work [1], [2]. In recent years, a considerable number of approaches have

been emerged and applied in several cases of digital image and map processing [3], [4]. This is particularly evident since

the introduction and continuously improvement and enrichment of the WWW technology and Internet [5], [6]. In that

direction, the geographic information systems and the WebGIS applications are particularly interested [7], [8], [9], [10]. In

this study, some of the main issues in geographical data management, processing and analysis are examined using GisTool,

a geographical information management system [11]. The basic idea in our research work is to provide an educational and
research environment where various data processing and analysis facilities would be at the disposal of the trainee or the

researcher to be used in processing environmental problems and extracting valuable information from real map images and

land structures.

This geographical information management system focuses mainly into the organization and manipulation of

geographical data in relational databases (ODBC compatible, etc.), based on structured systems development techniques

[12], [13], as well as their presentation and analysis using embedded tools for geo-information processing and retrieval.

The overall system presents a friendly interactive environment used mainly for the manipulation and organization of

geoscience information in relational databases (ODBC compatible, etc.), as well as the analysis of geographical image data

using build-in processing tools, based on techniques for processing georeferenced raster images [14]. The system also

provides links to specific external applications such as ESRI ArcView/Info and statistical tools. Databases are continuously

been updated with new geographical data.

The system is flexible in building and integrating new applications without excessive amount of programming. Visual

programming provides the opportunity to combine the OS routines that handle the interactive visual aspects of windows

management and the ideas of object-oriented programming and open access computing. Some of the main concepts, this

work contributes into, are the visual interaction and the direct manipulation utilized in the manipulation and analysis of

geographical data, performed even by non-specialists with limited experience in programming. The system provides

educational facilities in learning and experimenting with geographical information systems and particularly with image

data processing. In addition, the system provides an open system architecture that allows more interested and experienced

users to add, through visual programming, new bits of code and facilities. The system also tends to incorporate and

inductive learning facilities (general knowledge structures from specific instances), which would enable image

classification rules to be generated automatically. The combination of these technologies have enabled GisTool to become

a distributed system, which uses a communication -message passing- mechanism that is independent of operating systems

and allows different processes, written in different languages to communicate with no extra work in the application side.

Arising out of a need for an educational information system for the organization and manipulation of geographical data,

an integrated interactive multimedia environment for practice and experimentation in geographical information systems

was developed using a combination of object-oriented tools for visual programming with database management languages.

Results of the system's implementations in specific case studies have shown its immense potential into the integration and

management of large amounts of different types of information. It seems that the current state of this integrated

environment could present a substantial contribution to the methodologies of organizing and managing geographical data.
2. The Application

The development of the application environment of this study was based mainly upon the use of object-oriented and visual

development tools (Visual Basic, Esri MapObjects) and the use of VBasic scripts and SQL queries to interact with

relational databases and certain statistical packages, on a Windows platform. Basically, the application is consisted of a

number of software modules, each of which is assigned a specific group of tasks, e.g. database management, image

processing operations, formatting and conversion, statistical analysis, etc.

In this application environment the graphical user interface provides interactive data management through dialog active

boxes, links to external sources of information and the ability for advanced users to develop more specific applications

using advanced commercial software packages. In particular, a user of any level of geographical data knowledge (student

or researcher) could easily interact with the applications menus and perform a range of geographical data management

operations from simple image analysis and processing to more advanced statistical and mathematical operations. Links are

also provided to specific external software as well as to geographical information sources provided on the world wide web.

A general schematic view of the overall application system developed and used in our research work is presented in Fig. 1.

Geographic Data Management

Novice Advanced
Data Analysis,
Statistical Analysis,
Image processing
Application's
Application's
Advanced
Visual Interface
Interface
Database management

External Web Other Software

source packages links

Geographical Database

Figure 1. Schematic view of the basic working environment of GisTool.

The educational and experimental research work was carried out using the above-mentioned environment of GisTool. The

idea was to use an interactive and friendly environment for geographical data management, where geographical image

processing and data analysis (in particular statistical), as well as further research and experimentation on contemporary data

analysis techniques, could easily be contacted. The whole system comprises a flexible structure which is under continuous

evolvement in order to provide up to date descriptive geographical information.

2.1 Geographical data management

The overall organization of the geographical data is based on a relational database model, where each specific entity of

geographical data is structured logically as a table data structure and related to corresponding tables - data subsets - through

the appropriate key data fields. The system maintains the relationships between geographic data using appropriate key

identifiers to identify a specific geographic data location, its coordinates, map area description, municipalities, etc. Based

on a bottom-up design strategy database tables are grouped according to the type of geographical data (e.g. thematic and

reference maps, populations data, etc.) and related with specific key features.

The database is currently filled with quantitative and qualitative information mainly of basic attributes (e.g. populations,

areas, etc.), taking into consideration a small number of relative environmental effects and factors. The total number of data

for each entity (e.g. municipalities, Prefectures, etc), grouped in relational tables, is forming a large amount of parameters

some of which constitute the basic ones in further logical and arithmetic processing. Since multi-dimensional tables usually

identify geographic features, the logical geographic data structure is based on the relational database model so that to

provide maximum efficiency in queries and data retrievals.

At the top level, the system interface controls and synchronizes each user request, towards the database, through the

database management facilities. Some of the basic characteristics of the system interface are the interactivity and user-

friendliness. In most of the cases the trainee, using the mouse, can perform basic operations from menu options (pull-down

menus, dialog boxes, etc.) and other objects available for this purpose in the graphical environment. As a result it could

easily be used by anyone who is not particularly familiarized with complex computing tools or with management and

processing of geographical map data. Within such an organized environment the trainee or researcher can experiment with

various data processing functions and derive valuable geographical details, or create new ones.

2.2 Geographical data processing and analysis

The application provides basic functions for management of geographical data within the database such as: retrieve, update,

filters, reports, queries, etc. Further facilities are also provided for processing map data (raster or matrix images, etc.), such

as: contour identification, axis specification, axis shift, percent zoom, smooth, etc., as well as facilities for statistical

analysis of the numerical data (populations, areas, etc.) [15], such as: densities, deviations, aggregates, etc. In general, the

system provides many processing facilities for image processing and data analysis, from which the most important are:

Image processing, such as spatial representation, colour processing, bit-level processing, median filter

processing, inverse, edge detection, contrast manipulation, sharpening, etc.

Statistical processing, such as arithmetic averages, population distributions, percentage deviations, geometrical

image transfer and transformation, standard deviation, aggregations, classification, regression, etc.
2.2.1 Image processing functions

The interface provides a number of geographical images file management facilities amongst which is the facility to load

and display images stored in a default directory, as well as to capture new images, whenever appropriate equipment is

being used (e.g. CCDs camera, local storage mainframe). Image processing functions are grouped into categories according

to the type of operation that they carry out. Most of the image processing functions are part of classical image processing

techniques (based on digital image processing algorithms) [16]. A sample is given below:

• [thresh] provides an image threshold facility;

• [shift] shifts an image along the X or Y axis;

• [mag] magnifies an image at a specified point;

• [median] applies a median filter (replaces pixels values with a median value);

• [centroids] draws axis on certain objects;

• [diff] differentiates an image by additions;

• [invert] inverts image color characteristics.

The user interface provides also the routines required to establish the appropriate communications with the external

world, primarily with the user. The user's interactive input is processed and serviced by using routines already defined

within the user interface software module. The structure of the graphical user interface is such that provides a user friendly

interaction, fulfilling in this way one of the basic design principles, for a simple and comprehensive user interaction. That

includes a variety of system menus and control buttons, which the user can access through the keyboard and simple mouse

manipulation for a particular function to be performed. The framework of the interface layout is similar to the well

established open application interface, found in most of the software applications designed today, with menu and icon bars

and toolboxes, e.g. File and Database Analysis menus, specific Geographical Analysis and Image Processing menus, Help

menus, etc.

Once the digital representation of an image is loaded in computer memory, operations can be applied to the image. In

particular, three generic classes of operations are applied to the GisTool images: enhancement, rectification and analysis.

Enhancement improves images and generally relates to human observation, but also can be used to pre-process images

prior to computational analysis. The simplest form of enhancement applied is grey scale stretching. First, the image is

scanned and the system records the highest (Imax) and lowest (Imin) intensity values (255 and 0). Applying the following

equation stretches the contrast of individual pixels:

( I old − I min ) × 255
I New = (1)
( I max − I min )
 The colour properties of an image are mainly described using proportions of red, green and blue components. However,

in some cases colour transformation of the RGB components into HIS (hue, intensity, saturation) components is provided

for specific colour processing where it is easier to perform colour anticipation. In grey scale vision each picture element is

assigned a specific grey value, based on a method the basic principles of which were defined mathematically by Matheron

[17]. According to this method, if by y(xi) is the grey level of a pixel at spatial location xi on image grid, the unknown grey
∧
level value y (x) , located at the spatial position x, is estimated by a weighted linear combination of n available
neighbor pixels:
∧
y ( x) = ∑i =1 λ i y ( x i )
n
(2)

where λi is the weight associated to the pixel y(xi) located at spatial position xi. It is actually a local reconstruction method.

The threshold technique is a binary vision technique. That is, the grey level image (shades of grey in a scale of 0-black

to 255-white) is reduced to a binary image, black or white, by representing all grey values above a specified level as white,

and all below this level as black. This technique is simple and fast, reducing the image complexity and processing time. As

it is shown in Fig. 2, this technique proceeds by comparing the given threshold value with the grey values of the image

elements. This threshold value determines which intensities should be set to white and which to black. The scene that is

produced from this binary image could be with a black background and the objects in white, or reversed. The simplest

strategy is to average the intensity over a local rectangular block (32x32; 64x64) of cells, using a small increment 5 out of

256 grey levels. A more sophisticated approach is thresholding based on histogram analysis. The histogram h(i) of an

image i(x,y) is a function of the permissible intensity values (e.g. 00 (black) to FF16 (white)). This technique enables a high

level contrast between the background and object to be obtained, and subsequently enables a considerable amount of

information to be easily extracted from the image and processed.

2.2.2 Statistical processing functions

Beyond the above image processing functions, the trainee can perform more advanced operations through the

geographic data analysis menus provided, by applying statistical and other mathematical functions (e.g. standard deviation,

averages, etc.), or even create SQL queries for retrieving valuable information from specific image databases. The level of

system's usage depends on specific users’ needs, knowledge and certain experience. Furthermore, since the development of

software technology today has led to flexible and open architecture applications, links are provided to certain spreadsheet

tools (such as MS Excel) and other specialized statistical analysis tools, as well as geographical data analysis and

presentation tools, such as Esri's ArcInfo. As a result, within this environment the trainee could undertake and perform
more specialized geographical image data processing and analysis. At any stage of the processing, results can be produced

in various forms, e.g. as tables, graphs, maps, or other reports.

Figure 2. GisTool image processing operations (thresholding left and scaling right).

3. Case studies

During our educational research work the idea was to implement and use an interactive and friendly environment for

geographical data management, where image data analysis and experimentation, as well as further research on

contemporary data analysis techniques, could easily be contacted. As a result the above mentioned geographical

information management system was developed and used as an educational platform (test-bed) where training and

experimentation on geographical data could easily be contacted by the student as well the researcher. For the time being,

the system has been used mainly into experimental educational and research applications [18], since it is still under

development and continuous integration with further functionality and tools.

The GisTool system provides a set of tools for displaying and analysing geographical data. By default any image

processing function is applied to the entire image area, however the user can select any part of the image to be processed. A

method used in our studies, quite often to get information from the imaginary data, is based on a combination of edge

detection (e.g. Laplace, Sobel) and image segmentation algorithms (e.g. thresholding) that aim to identify and extract

specific geographic data (see Fig. 3). In particular this is applied in order to search for significant breaks in a mountainous

environment (e.g. in image interpretation of satellite data) as well as in cases of cities regions interpretation (e.g. in

identification and classification of building zones).

Figure 3. Image enhancement of a local city region.

In some other cases, we rectified aerial photographs, as the primary source of base maps and thematic data, using at first

smoothing techniques and later pixel analysis techniques based on contrast manipulation procedures. Finally, in some other

cases dynamic processing has been performed by using digital maps embedded with text, sound, video, etc., as a part of a

multimedia presentation for the spatial changes of a city's population.

At earlier times, prior to its full implementation, specific parts have been applied into modelling and analysis of raster

images within robotic workcells aiming at real time control [19]. Today the system has been applied mainly in analysis of

spatial data: digital maps processing, cadastral tables processing and other relevant spatial applications, from students and

research colleagues. In particular, data analysis has been performed in different thematic attributes such as: land-uses,

population distribution (see Fig. 4), etc.

Figure 4. Sample report of geographical data aggregation.

Based on observations, comments and further feedback about the system's usage, the trainee is able to understand the basic

concepts that describe the geographical information systems and follow step by step the normal flow of the information
provided. On each step is provided all the required detailed information for the requested subjects as well as examples for

their comprehension. As a result the trainee learns about the nature and structure of the actual geographical data as well as

the procedures employed for their manipulation (insertion, classification, etc.). He is capable to perform various data

queries, according to the task is engaged to, and use the appropriate procedures to analyse them and finally to produce

results and conclusions in various presentation forms (text, tables, graphs, etc.).

4. Conclusion

The contemporary analysis and management of spatial data requires a progressive use of geographic information

management systems in all aspects of technical, organizational and political process [20]. An independency of a specific

software environment is required and therefore the necessity of new software tools is more than obvious [21].

In this framework an interactive environment for education and research in geographical systems was developed and

implemented in specific research case studies. While continuing to improve the described geographic information

management system some of the main activities that GisTool can support, are as follows:

• Collect and describe graphic and non-graphic geographical data.

• Perform image processing and analysis.

• Perform statistical analysis on geo-referenced data.

Within this environment the user has the ability to combine mapping and statistical processing to manage in this way

multivariable quantitative and qualitative information extracted from a large amount of geographical data organized in a

relational database. Additionally some of the benefits are:

• Open and expandable source

• Friendly and simple user’s interface.

• Compatible with many commercial data structures

• Visual programming environment

The level of system's usage depends on the goals, the knowledge and the experience of the user, student or researcher.

An advanced user, having some knowledge of programming, could create specific applications through the application's

programming interface based in Visual Basic and even extend further the system's functionality. At the same time a novice

user can use it as an educational and research tool. Actually the GisTool can act as a primary educational tool in

understanding the concept and the technology of analysing and management of spatial related data.
 Currently, the system is going under web distribution aiming to be used as a distance learning tool in the geographical

educational and research domain. In the near future is scheduled the integration of spatial models into the system in

conjunction with the qualitative modelling tool mentioned above (QMTOOL), and their implementation into the evaluation

of spatial information.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Professor Edward Grant (North Carolina State University) for his helpful suggestions and

comments in the whole process of our research work. We wish also to acknowledge the assistance provided by many of our

students and colleagues in testing the application and providing valuable feedback. The views and conclusions expressed in

this paper are those of the authors.

References

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Information Systems, Lisbon, Portugal, 2000, 479-487.

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[20] M. Lepper, H. Scholten, R. Stern, The added value of geographical information systems in public and environmental

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Biographies

Dr. George Adam graduated with distinction with a Bachelor degree in Computing Machines

and Devices in 1989 from the Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria. In 1990 he was granted a

scholarship (SERC award) for his postgraduate degree. He received his Ph.D. in Computer

Science from Strathclyde University, Glasgow, U.K., in 1993. He is currently an Adjunct

Lecturer in Computer Science at the Department of Planning and Regional Development at the

University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece. His research interests are mainly focused on

management of geographical information systems, applications of qualitative modelling and simulation techniques, and the

construction of interactive multimedia software using object-oriented methodologies. He is a member of the IEEE Robotics

& Automation Society and Computer Society, ACM and IASTED.

 Dr. Vassilis Pappas is Assistant Professor in the University of Thessaly, Greece and Director of

the Laboratory of Computer Applications in Spatial Planning, Department of Planning and

Regional Development. Main teaching courses he is involved in: Geographic Information

Systems, Introduction to Informatics, Databases, etc. He is author of many monographs, papers,

works, presentations, etc, and he has participated in numerous research projects. As an

individual consultant he has worked in many National Organizations and in private firms, as a G.I.S. expert and spatial

planner. Also he has been reviewer, evaluator and short term IT expert in many EU programs. A pioneer of Greek GIS

society and member of many national and international associations and societies (Hellenic GIS society, Hellenic

Computer Society, Greek Planers Associations, Technical Chamber of Greece, IEEE, etc).

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