Image interpretation of topographic maps on a medium scale via frame-based modelling

A new method for automatic data acquisition from colored topographic maps is presented. Cartographic paper-based maps describe the real landscape in symbolic and reduced form. The data acquisition from maps provides a spatial reference and a data basis for geographic information systems. Geographic information systems (GIS) are data processing systems that are used in geographic disciplines, e.g. for environmental planning tasks. They support graphic-based capturing, modifying, processing and management of spatial data. The extensive and efficient application of GIS demands the automation of data acquisition because the data requirements cannot be supported sufficiently by the currently used extremely time-consuming and costly manual or at most partly automatized digitization of maps.