Building extraction from digital elevation models

To extract buildings from digital elevation models, we define a point process whose points represent buildings. We then define a density for this point process which is split into two parts, consisting in an "internal field" that allows us to model the prior knowledge we have on patterns of buildings in urban areas and an "external field" that makes the point process fit the data. We then use a metropolis Hastings Green sampler coupled with a simulated annealing that gives the configuration of buildings minimizing the energy we have defined. We present results on real data provided by the French Mapping Institute (IGN).