Deep Ensemble CNN Method Based on Sample Expansion for Hyperspectral Image Classification

With the continuous progress of computer deep learning technology, convolutional neural network (CNN), as a representative approach, provides a unique solution for hyperspectral image (HSI) classification. However, the parameters of CNN cannot be well-tuned when the number of training samples is insufficient, resulting in unsatisfactory classification performance. To tackle the thorny problem, a deep ensemble CNN method based on sample expansion for HSI classification is studied in this article. In particular, spatial information is first extracted and fused with original spectral bands to help classifiers obtain discriminant spectral–spatial features. Then, we use the pixel-pair feature (PPF) to expand the number of training samples so that the parameters of CNN structure can be fully trained. In addition, deep ensemble CNN is employed in this article, enabling the trained model to obtain better generalization ability and more robust classification results. Ultimately, the proposed method is applied to classify four widely used hyperspectral datasets. Experimental results show that the studied approach yields higher classification accuracy than some CNN-based methods even under the condition of small-size training set.