Retina-inspired Object Motion Segmentation

Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVS) have emerged as a revolutionary technology with a high temporal resolution that far surpasses RGB cameras. DVS technology draws biological inspiration from photoreceptors and the initial retinal synapse. Our research showcases the potential of additional retinal functionalities to extract visual features. We provide a domain-agnostic and efficient algorithm for ego-motion compensation based on Object Motion Sensitivity (OMS), one of the multiple robust features computed within the mammalian retina. We develop a framework based on experimental neuroscience that translates OMS' biological circuitry to a low-overhead algorithm. OMS processes DVS data from dynamic scenes to perform pixel-wise object motion segmentation. Using a real and a synthetic dataset, we highlight OMS' ability to differentiate object motion from ego-motion, bypassing the need for deep networks. This paper introduces a bio-inspired computer vision method that dramatically reduces the number of parameters by a factor of 1000 compared to prior works. Our work paves the way for robust, high-speed, and low-bandwidth decision-making for in-sensor computations.

Hardware-Algorithm Re-engineering of Retinal Circuit for Intelligent Object Motion Segmentation

Recent advances in retinal neuroscience have fueled various hardware and algorithmic efforts to develop retina-inspired solutions for computer vision tasks. In this work, we focus on a fundamental visual feature within the mammalian retina, Object Motion Sensitivity (OMS). Using DVS data from EV-IMO dataset, we analyze the performance of an algorithmic implementation of OMS circuitry for motion segmentation in presence of ego-motion. This holistic analysis considers the underlying constraints arising from the hardware circuit implementation. We present novel CMOS circuits that implement OMS functionality inside image sensors, while providing run-time re-configurability for key algorithmic parameters. In-sensor technologies for dynamical environment adaptation are crucial for ensuring high system performance. Finally, we verify the functionality and re-configurability of the proposed CMOS circuit designs through Cadence simulations in 180nm technology. In summary, the presented work lays foundation for hardware-algorithm re-engineering of known biological circuits to suit application needs.