Application of the trajectory error matrix for assessing the temporal transferability of OBIA for slum detection

• Main Authors: Jati Pratomo, Monika Kuffer, Divyani Kohli, Javier Martinez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2018-01-01
• Series: European Journal of Remote Sensing
• Subjects: Transferability; object-based image analysis (OBIA); slums; multi-temporal; trajectory error matrix
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22797254.2018.1496798

High temporal and spatial-resolution imageries are a valuable data source for slum monitoring. However, the transferability of OBIA methods across space and time remains problematic, due to the complexity of the term “slum”. Hence, transparency is important when analysing the transferability of OBIA methods for slum mapping. Our research developed a framework for measuring the temporal transferability of OBIA methods employing the trajectory error matrix (TEM). We found relatively low trajectory accuracies indicating low temporal transferability of OBIA methods for slum monitoring using point-based assessment methods. However, the analysis of change needs to be combined with an analysis of the certainty of this change by considering the context of the change to deal with common problems such as variations of the viewing angles and uncertainties in producing reference data on slums.