Leveraging Mixed Data Sources for Enhanced Road Segmentation in Synthetic Aperture Radar Images

Abstract

In this study, we tackle the task of road segmentation from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, which is vital for remote sensing applications including urban planning and disaster management. Despite its significance, SAR-based road segmentation is hindered by the scarcity of high-resolution, annotated SAR datasets and the distinct characteristics of SAR imagery, which differ significantly from more commonly used electro-optical (EO) imagery. To overcome these challenges, we introduce a multi-source data approach, creating the HybridSAR Road Dataset (HSRD). This dataset includes the SpaceNet 6 Road (SN6R) dataset, derived from high-resolution SAR images and OSM road data, as well as the DG-SAR and SN3-SAR datasets, synthesized from existing EO datasets. We adapt an off-the-shelf road segmentation network from the optical to the SAR domain through an enhanced training framework that integrates both real and synthetic data. Our results demonstrate that the HybridSAR Road Dataset and the adapted network significantly enhance the accuracy and robustness of SAR road segmentation, paving the way for future advancements in remote sensing.

Keywords

• geographic information
• transportation
• synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
• remote sensing