New higher-order active contour energies for network extraction

Using the framework of higher-order active contours, we present a new quadratic continuation energy for the extraction of line networks (e.g. road, hydrographic, vascular) in the presence of occlusions. Occlusions create gaps in the data that frequently translate to gaps in the extracted network. The new energy penalizes nearby opposing extremities of the network, and thus favours the closure of the gaps created by occlusions. Nearby opposing extremities are identified using a sophisticated interaction between pairs of points on the contour. This new model allows the extraction of fully connected networks, even though occlusions violate common assumptions about the homogeneity of the interior, and high contrast with the exterior, of the network. We present experimental results on real aerial images that demonstrate the effectiveness of the new model for network extraction tasks.