Method and device for computer-aided segmentation of an environment into individual objects

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer usable program code for computer-aided segmentation of an environment into individual objects, said computer program product in which:

• signals (SIG_R) which are backscattered by the objects are recorded by measurement technology, with the backscattered signals (SIG_R) resulting from the irradiation of the environment to be segmented with electromagnetic radiation;
• spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of points which cause the backscattering and represent the object parts (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, . . . , X.sub.5) are determined from the backscattered signals (SIG_R), and a feature vector (f) is assigned to each of the points (P;
• P1, P2), which feature vector comprises at least the spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of the point in question (P;
• P1, P2);
• a distance measure (d) is determined for each of the feature vectors (f), which represents a similarity between the feature vectors (f) of two points (P;
• P1, P2);
• and
• the feature vectors (f) assigned to the points (P;
• P1, P2) are allocated to disjoint segments (A, B) in such a manner that a cost function (E) which takes into account the distance measures (d) of all the feature vectors (f) to each other is minimized, as a result of which the segmentation of the environment into individual objects is provided
• wherein the distance measure (d) is determined by combining at least two distance measures (F, X, Z, G) which are weighted using a respective parameter and differ from each other, wherein the differing distance measures (F, X, Y, Z) assess similarities and distances in at least one point-related feature and spatial distances of the points, in particular in the x and y directions as well as in the z direction, differently;
• wherein the point-related feature is determined from the temporal profile of the energy of the backscattered signal and either the uniformity of distribution or concentration of the points is used in the distance measure.

A device for computer-aided segmentation of an environment into individual objects, in particular of a wood into individual trees, comprising:

• a first means for recording signals (SIG_R) which are backscattered by the objects are recorded by measurement technology, with the backscattered signals (SIG_R) resulting from the irradiation of the environment to be segmented with electromagnetic radiation;
• a second means for determining spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of points which cause the backscattering and represent the object parts (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, . . . , X.sub.5) are determined from the backscattered signals (SIG_R), and a feature vector (f) is assigned to each of the points (P;
• P1, P2), which feature vector comprises at least the spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of the point in question (P;
• P1, P2);
• a third means for determining a distance measure (d) is determined for each of the feature vectors (f), which represents a similarity between the feature vectors (f) of two points (P;
• P1, P2);
• and
• a fourth means for allocating the feature vectors (f) assigned to the points (P;
• P1, P2) are allocated to disjoint segments (A, B) in such a manner that a cost function (E) which takes into account the distance measures (d) of all the feature vectors (f) to each other is minimized, as a result of which the segmentation of the environment into individual objects is provided
• wherein the distance measure (d) is determined by combining at least two distance measures (F, X, Z, G) which are weighted using a respective parameter and differ from each other, wherein the differing distance measures (F, X, Y, Z) assess similarities and distances in at least one point-related feature and spatial distances of the points, in particular in the x and y directions as well as in the z direction, differently;
• wherein the point-related feature is determined from the temporal profile of the energy of the backscattered signal and either the uniformity of distribution or concentration of the points is used in the distance measure.