Building reconstruction from a single DEM

Abstract

We present a new approach for building reconstruction from a single Digital Elevation Model (DEM). It treats buildings as an assemblage of simple urban structures extracted from a library of 3D parametric blocks (like a LEGO^reg set). This method works on various data resolutions such as 0.7 m satellite and 0.1 m aerial DEMs and allows us to obtain 3D representations with various levels of detail. First, the 2D supports of the urban structures are extracted either interactively or automatically. Then, 3D blocks are placed on the 2D supports using a Gibbs model. A Bayesian decision finds the optimal configuration of 3D blocks using a RJMCMC sampler. Experimental results on complex buildings and dense urban areas are presented using data at various resolutions.