The ARSIS Concept For Image Fusion

The ARSIS concept is a very convenient framework to develop methods for the fusion of images.

In various applications of remote sensing, when high spatial resolution is required in addition with classification results, sensor fusion is a solution. From a set of images with different spatial and spectral resolutions, the aim is to synthesize images with the highest spatial resolution available in the set and with an appropriate spectral content. The methods should provide synthetic images close to reality when enhancing the spatial resolution.

Based on a multiresolution modeling of the information, the ARSIS concept (from its French name "Amélioration de la Résolution Spatiale par Injection de Structures") was designed in the aim of improving the spatial resolution together with a high-quality in the spectral content of the synthesized images. The papers of Ranchin, Wald (2000), Ranchin et al. (2003) and the book of Wald (2002) explain the ARSIS concept.

By fusing two sets of images A and B, one with a high spatial resolution, the other with a low spatial resolution and different spectral bands, the ARSIS concept permits to synthesise the dataset B at the resolution of A that is as close as possible to reality. It is based on the assumption that the missing information is linked to the high frequencies in the sets A and B. It searches a relationship between the high frequencies in the multispectral set B and the set A and models this relationship.

Several methods have been devised within this concept. Practical information for the implementation of the wavelet transform, the multiresolution analysis, and the ARSIS concept by practitioners is given in Ranchin, Wald (2000) and Wald (2002). Three methods are described exploiting the wavelet transform "a trous". The article by Ranchin et al. (2003) helps practitioners and researchers to better understand this concept through practical details about implementations of more advanced methods.

The method GLP-CBD (Aiazzi et al. 2002, 2006) is an example of the most advanced methods belonging to the ARSIS concept. It has been distinguished in the IEEE contest in data fusion.

Ranchin T., Wald L., 2000. Fusion of high spatial and spectral resolution images: the ARSIS concept and its implementation. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 66(1), 49-61.
Wald L., 2002. Data Fusion. Definitions and Architectures - Fusion of Images of Different Spatial Resolutions. Presses de l'Ecole, Ecole des Mines de Paris, Paris, France, ISBN 2-911762-38-X, 200 p.
Ranchin T., Aiazzi B., Alparone L., Baronti S., Wald L., 2003. Image fusion. The ARSIS concept and some successful implementation schemes. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing, 58, 4-18.
B. Aiazzi, L. Alparone, S. Baronti, and A. Garzelli, Context-driven fusion of high spatial and spectral resolution data based on oversampled multiresolution analysis, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., vol. 40, no. 10, pp. 2300-2312, Oct. 2002.
B. Aiazzi, L. Alparone, S. Baronti, A. Garzelli, and M. Selva, MTF-tailored multiscale fusion of high-resolution MS and Pan imagery, Photogramm. Eng. Remote Sens., vol. 72, no. 5, pp. 591-596, May 2006.

2011-01-30 - Copyright L. Wald, Armines / MINES ParisTech