Two-dimensional polygonal representation of maps for use with autonomous vehicle route planning / Roger K. Diehl, Robert B. McGhee, Michael J. Zyda.

Abstract

We present in this study a two-phase approach to the generation and maintenance of a polygonal cartographic database useful for autonomous vehicle route planning. The database is generated non-interactively from available U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps. The database is maintained interactively by a graphics workstation. The focus of this study is on the non-interactive generation of the polygonal database. The non-interactive generation process uses both a set of heuristics derived from the characteristics of paper maps and classical region growing. This study presents a two-phase approach to the digital map production problem. The first phase is a non-interactive phase in which general information is gleaned from a paper topographical map with the use of an image digitizer and computer vision software. The second phase is an interactive one that focuses on the refinement, correction and revision of the map produced in the first phase