A deep learning-based local feature extraction method for improved image matching and surface reconstruction from Yutu-2 PCAM images on the Moon

Topographic reconstruction of the lunar surface or other planets is important to engineering applications and scientific research in a planetary exploration mission. The typical methods of terrain reconstruction are usually based on photogrammetry techniques. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) is one of the most effective and commonly used photogrammetric technologies that estimate three-dimensional structures from two-dimensional image sequences. To find correspondences and align photos, SfM approaches require invariant features, such as Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT). The hand-crafted features, however, seriously degrade performance due to weak texture and low light conditions causing image matching failure, which will directly affect the accuracy and robustness of reconstruction. Robust local descriptors based on deep learning outperform hand-crafted descriptors since convolutional neural networks are more robust than hand-engineered representations. Therefore, a novel and robust deep learning-based local feature extraction method is proposed, comprising two branch networks integrated with attention mechanisms for generating reliable keypoints and descriptors, respectively. Furthermore, a 3D terrain surface reconstruction workflow is constructed by combining it with the modern advanced image matching method and SfM system. The effectiveness of the proposed method and the workflow were verified in experiments using Panoramic Camera (PCAM) images acquired from three waypoints explored by the Yutu-2 lunar rover during the Chang’e-4 mission. We also illustrate how our approach supports other applications, such as creating panoramic mosaics of surface imagery. This provides a new and powerful method for planetary terrain reconstruction at a high spatial resolution that can meet the requirements for rover navigation and positioning, as well as geological analysis of the Moon and other planets. The source codes developed in this study are openly available at https://github.com/Atypical-Programmer/Deep_Reconstruction_Workflow.