Automatic military passability map generation system

Abstract

Passability maps are one of the basic elements used in military terrain assessment. The article describes an automating of their development. It performs all the stages of cartographic modelling, from data preparation to visualisation of the resulting passability maps in the form of a geoportal. A Vector Map Level 2 (VMap L2) was used as source data. In the described system, passability was relative to the primary grid field in the shape of a square with a defined, arbitrary size, for which data regarding land cover elements, located within this primary field, was prepared. On the basis of this data, spatial analyses were carried out, resulting in the Index of Passability (IOP), determined in a continuous range from 0 (NO GO terrain) to 1 (GO terrain). The article discusses two ways of determining this index. The first is based on the consideration of terrain objects specified in military standardisation agreements. The second takes into account the Vegetation Roughness Factor and all feature classes found in VMap L2. Presented in this work are resulting terrain passability maps, developed using both methods. The total duration of the map generation process, based on the defined parameters, was also analysed.