GAUSS: Guided Encoder-Decoder Architecture for Hyperspectral Unmixing with Spatial Smoothness

This study introduces GAUSS (Guided encoder-decoder Architecture for hyperspectral Unmixing with Spatial Smoothness), a novel autoencoder-based architecture for hyperspectral unmixing (HU). GAUSS consists of an Approximation Network (AN), Unmixing Network (UN), and a Mixing Network (MN). The AN incorporates spatial context within a hyperspectral pixel's neighborhood, while the UN utilizes a pseudo-ground truth mechanism to enhance abundance estimation. The MN provides estimated endmembers' signatures. By incorporating UN-produced abundances, unlike the conventional AE model, GAUSS overcomes the single-layer constraint of the MN. Thereafter, a secondary training phase improves the accuracy of endmembers and abundance estimation using a reliable Signal Processing (SP) algorithm, resulting in superior HU performance. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of GAUSS on two Standard datasets and a Simulated dataset compared to the state-of-the-art SP and Deep Learning (DL) based methods. This signifies the benefit of integrating an SP algorithm in the training process, contributing to advancements in DL-based HU techniques.