A real-time terrain visualization algorithm using wavelet-based compression

Abstract

We propose a real-time terrain visualization algorithm combined with wavelet-based compression. Our approach updates a surface mesh model in real time by using wavelet coefficients and height data decoded from a compressed bitstream. To achieve this, a new mesh approximation method using restricted quadtree triangulation is designed on the basis of wavelet coefficients representing surface complexity. Also, a wavelet-based compression having a multiresolution structure is introduced to handle large terrain data interactively. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is prospective for applications in a network environment where narrow bandwidth and low computational power are usually allowed .