The Use of an Artificial Neural Network to Process Hydrographic Big Data during Surface Modeling ^†

At the present time, spatial data are often acquired using varied remote sensing sensors and systems, which produce big data sets. One significant product from these data is a digital model of geographical surfaces, including the surface of the sea floor. To improve data processing, presentation, and management, it is often indispensable to reduce the number of data points. This paper presents research regarding the application of artificial neural networks to bathymetric data reductions. This research considers results from radial networks and self-organizing Kohonen networks. During reconstructions of the seabed model, the results show that neural networks with fewer hidden neurons than the number of data points can replicate the original data set, while the Kohonen network can be used for clustering during big geodata reduction. Practical implementations of neural networks capable of creating surface models and reducing bathymetric data are presented.