ICSF: An Improved Cloth Simulation Filtering Algorithm for Airborne LiDAR Data Based on Morphological Operations

Ground filtering is an essential step in airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data processing various applications. The cloth simulation (CSF) algorithm has gained popularity because of its ease use advantage. However, CSF limitations topographically environmentally complex areas. Therefore, improved (ICSF) was developed this study. ICSF uses morphological closing operations to initialize the cloth, estimates rigidness for providing a more accurate reference terrain characteristics. Moreover, terrain-adaptive height difference thresholds are better LiDAR point clouds. performance assessed using International Society Photogrammetry Remote Sensing urban rural samples Open Topography forested samples. Results showed that can improve accuracy with non-ground object characteristics, while maintaining advantage CSF. In samples, obtained average total error 4.03% outperformed another eight algorithms terms robustness. produced than well-known (including maximum slope, progressive morphology, algorithms), performed respect preservation steep slopes discontinuities vegetation removal. Thus, proposed be used as efficient tool processing.