In classifier (or regression) fusion, the aim is to combine the outputs of several algorithms to boost overall performance. Standard supervised fusion algorithms often require accurate and precise training labels. However, accurate labels may be difficult to obtain in many remote sensing applications. This paper proposes novel classification and regression fusion models that can be trained given ambiguously and imprecisely labeled training data in which the training labels are associated with sets of data points (i.e., “bags”) instead of individual data points (i.e., “instances”) following a multiple-instance learning framework. Experiments were conducted based on the proposed algorithms on both synthetic data and applications such as target detection and crop yield prediction given remote sensing data. The proposed algorithms show effective classification and regression performance.
The Multiple Instance Choquet integral (MICI) for classifier fusion and an evolutionary algorithm for parameter estimation is presented. The Choquet integral has a long history of providing an effective framework for non-linear fusion. However, previous methods to learn an appropriate measure for the Choquet integral required accurate and precise training labels. In many applications, data-point specific labels are unavailable and infeasible to obtain. The proposed MICI algorithm allows for training with uncertain labels in which class labels are provided for sets of data points (i.e., “bags”) instead of individual data points (i.e., “instances”). The proposed algorithm is able to fuse multiple two-class classifier outputs by learning a monotonic and normalized fuzzy measure from uncertain training labels using an evolutionary algorithm. It produces enhanced classification performance by computing Choquet integral with the learned fuzzy measure. Results on both simulated and real hyperspectral data are presented in the paper.