ICA mixture model algorithm for unsupervised classification of remote sensing imagery

Conventional remote sensing classification algorithms assume that the data in each class can be modelled using a multivariate Gaussian distribution. As this assumption is often not valid in practice, conventional algorithms do not perform well. In this paper, we present an independent component analysis (ICA)‐based approach for unsupervised classification of multi/hyperspectral imagery. ICA used for a mixture model estimates the data density in each class and models class distributions with non‐Gaussian (sub‐ and super‐Gaussian) probability density functions, resulting in the ICA mixture model (ICAMM) algorithm. Independent components and the mixing matrix for each class are found using an extended information‐maximization algorithm, and the class membership probabilities for each pixel are computed. The pixel is allocated to the class having maximum class membership probability to produce a classification. We apply the ICAMM algorithm for unsupervised classification of images obtained from both multispectral and hyperspectral sensors. Four feature extraction techniques are considered as a preprocessing step to reduce the dimensionality of the hyperspectral data. The results demonstrate that the ICAMM algorithm significantly outperforms the conventional K‐means algorithm for land cover classification produced from both multi‐ and hyperspectral remote sensing images.