Acquiring spatial data for geoinformation systems is still mainly done by human operators who analyze images using classical photogrammetric equipment or digitize maps, possibly assisted by some low level image processing. Automation of these tasks is difficult due to the complexity of the object, the topography, and the deficiency of current pattern recognition and image analysis tools for achieving a reliable transition from the data to the high level description of topographic objects. It appears that progress in automation only can be achieved by incorporating domain-specific semantic models into the analysis procedures. This volume collects papers which were presented at the Workshop "SMATI '97". The workshop focused on "Semantic Modeling for the Acquisition of Topographic Information from Images and Maps." This volume offers a comprehensive selection of high-quality and in-depth contributions by experts of the field coming from leading research institutes, treating both theoretical and implementation issues and integrating aspects of photogrammetry, cartography, computer vision, and image understanding.
