AWERProcedia Information Technology & Computer Science 2 (2012) 37-43 2 nd World Conference on Innovation and Computer Sciences 2012 Vectorization and spatial query architecture on island satellite images Suleyman Eken a *, Ahmet Sayar a a Kocaeli University, Department of Computer Engineering, TR-41380 Umuttepe, Kocaeli, Turkey Abstract Vector data structure produces smaller file size than raster image because a raster image needs space for all pixels while only point coordinates are stored in vector representation. Raster-to-vector conversion, i.e. vectorization, has key functionalities in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This study presents a technique converting raster satellite island images into vector data as polygons by using edge-detection algorithms. This enables storing satellite images as vector objects into spatial database systems and utilizing the advanced built-in spatial functions and queries developed by the spatial database community. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated by applying on a system detecting spatiotemporal changes in a real-world island satellite image. Keywords: Vectorization, Raster Data, Vector Data, Spatial Databases, Spatial Queries, Data Model ling; Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Dogan Ibrahim. ©2012 Academic World Education & Research Center. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction There are two kinds of computer graphics – raster and vector. Raster graphics are also called bitmap images, and consist of a grid of individual pixels where each pixel can be a different color or shade. On the other hand, vector graphics use mathematical relationships between points and the path connects them to describe an image. Although each representation has advantages over another, they can be used together in many applications [1]. Raster-to-vector conversion, i.e. vectorization, has key functionalities in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), image processing for Remote Sensing, conversion of technical drawings (analog to digital) in engineering applications, and document analysis/recognition. ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Suleyman Eken, Kocaeli University, Department of Computer Engineering, TR-41380 Umuttepe, Kocaeli, Turkey E-mail address: suleyman.eken@kocaeli.edu.tr / Tel.: +90 262 303 3596