An FPGA implemented bridge over water recognition for an image evaluation on-board of satellites

This paper presents an advanced method for the automatic recognition of bridges over water in high resolution satellite image data, intended for an application on-board of satellites. The algorithm is implemented in reconfigurable hardware, a so-called Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Within a few seconds a thematic map is derived from the original satellite image. The map contains information about the water areas, islands and bridge deck areas in the captured scene. No a-priory knowledge is needed. Due to the autonomous image processing and the low power consumption of the FPGA, this implementation seems suitable for an application on-board of satellites. Especially in case of a natural disaster it could provide quick information about accessible transportation routes. The algorithm as well as experimental results on panchromatic and near-infrared satellite imagery are presented in this article. The obtained results are promising.