Deep Learning Approaches For Satellite Image Classification: A Review

Abstract

The classification of images has attracted significant attention due to its applications in several computer vision tasks, including satellite imaging, image analysis, surveillance, object recognition, and image retrieval. The primary objective of image classification is to provide class labels to images based on their content. The applications of imagery classification and analysis in remote sensing are significant since they are utilized in many sectors, including military and civilian areas. In satellite imagery, the challenge of image classification is heightened due to the rotation of objects inside a view and the typically varied background. This review paper discusses satellite image classification through various deep learning approaches, including its historical background and current approaches. It finds the most appropriate classification techniques for different types of satellite images and discusses the impact of preprocessing methods on classification accuracy. Moreover, a comparative analysis of several studies is given based on different parameters such as research objectives, used datasets, methods/algorithms, limitations, etc. Specific case studies that have significantly contributed to the understanding of satellite image classification are also discussed; further, an overview of challenges and future research directions in this field is also provided.