LSTM-based DEM generation in riverine environment

Abstract

In the broad field of sensors and 3D information retrieval, bathymetric reconstruction from side-scan sonar imaging is associated with unique technical hurdles. Neural Networks have recently led to promising new solutions in this field, but the available methods tend to be complex and data-intensive in a way typically making their use in a riverine environment impossible. Throughout our work, we have focused on simplifying the problem-handling and treating compatibility with a riverine environment as priority. In our work, Long Short-Term Memory proved to be effective in a surprisingly simple form. Combined with traditional post-processing techniques in the GIS environment, like median filtered focal statistics, our workflow ultimately results in ∼0.259 m median of error on the evaluation dataset of the Dráva River.

Keywords

• GIS
• Side-scan sonar
• Long short-term memory
• River bathymetry
• Digital elevation models