Two-Layered Graph-Cuts-Based Classification of LiDAR Data in Urban Areas

Classifying the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) point cloud in the urban environment is a challenging task. Due to the complicated structures of urban objects, it is difficult to find suitable features and classifiers to efficiently category the points. A two-layered graph-cuts-based classification framework is addressed in this study. The hierarchical framework includes a bottom layer that defines the features and classifies point clouds at the point level as well as a top layer that defines the features and classifies the point cloud at the object level. A novel adaptive local modification method is employed to model the interactions between these two layers. The iterative graph cuts algorithm runs around the bottom and top layers to optimize the classification. In this way, the addressed framework benefits from the integration of point features and object features to improve the classification. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of producing classification results with high accuracy and efficiency.