Automatic Localization of Elevation Values in a Poor Quality Topographic Map

Abstract

A topographic sheet hosts various morphological features that effectively describe the terrain. This multi-faced information content not only elevates human perception but also provides ample direction for research initiatives. Out of all possible attributes based on utility, contours have wide set of application. A contour is characterized by its coordinate system and most importantly, its elevation detail. Upon, successful attainment of these two attributes, creating a fully automatic 3D projection system may be achieved with relative ease. In contrast to the traditional manual approach, this research initiative puts forward a novel mechanism for automatically localizing contour and its attributes including coordinate pattern and elevation value in a referenced map. To accomplish the aforementioned objectives, the proposed mechanism relies on various image processing techniques based on morphological operations. Further, the extracted details can be used to project the contours in a 3D space. This projection is also called Digital Elevation Model (DEM). DEM is crucial for various applications such as Terrain Modeling, Hydrological Modeling, Path Optimization, to name a few. Automatically and accurately created DEM from topographic sheet could contribute a lot in many Geographical Information System (GIS) applications. This paper focuses mainly on elevation value localization associated with specific contour.