Two-stage Deep Learning Model with LSTM-based Autoencoder and CNN for Crop Classification Using Multi-temporal Remote Sensing Images

This study proposes a two-stage hybrid classification model for crop classification using multi-temporal remote sensing images; the model combines feature embedding by using an autoencoder (AE) with a convolutional neural network (CNN) classifier to fully utilize features including informative temporal and spatial signatures. Long short-term memory (LSTM)-based AE (LAE) is fine-tuned using class label information to extract latent features that contain less noise and useful temporal signatures. The CNN classifier is then applied to effectively account for the spatial characteristics of the extracted latent features. A crop classification experiment with multi-temporal unmanned aerial vehicle images is conducted to illustrate the potential application of the proposed hybrid model. The classification performance of the proposed model is compared with various combinations of conventional deep learning models (CNN, LSTM, and convolutional LSTM) and different inputs (original multi-temporal images and features from stacked AE). From the crop classification experiment, the best classification accuracy was achieved by the proposed model that utilized the latent features by fine-tuned LAE as input for the CNN classifier. The latent features that contain useful temporal signatures and are less noisy could increase the class separability between crops with similar spectral signatures, thereby leading to superior classification accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate the importance of effective feature extraction and the potential of the proposed classification model for crop classification using multi-temporal remote sensing images.