Abstract:Context is an important factor in computer vision as it offers valuable information to clarify and analyze visual data. Utilizing the contextual information inherent in an image or a video can improve the precision and effectiveness of object detectors. For example, where recognizing an isolated object might be challenging, context information can improve comprehension of the scene. This study explores the impact of various context-based approaches to object detection. Initially, we investigate the role of context in object detection and survey it from several perspectives. We then review and discuss the most recent context-based object detection approaches and compare them. Finally, we conclude by addressing research questions and identifying gaps for further studies. More than 265 publications are included in this survey, covering different aspects of context in different categories of object detection, including general object detection, video object detection, small object detection, camouflaged object detection, zero-shot, one-shot, and few-shot object detection. This literature review presents a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in context-based object detection, providing valuable contributions such as a thorough understanding of contextual information and effective methods for integrating various context types into object detection, thus benefiting researchers.
Abstract:The success of neural networks builds to a large extent on their ability to create internal knowledge representations from real-world high-dimensional data, such as images, sound, or text. Approaches to extract and present these representations, in order to explain the neural network's decisions, is an active and multifaceted research field. To gain a deeper understanding of a central aspect of this field, we have performed a targeted review focusing on research that aims to associate internal representations with human understandable concepts. In doing this, we added a perspective on the existing research by using primarily deductive nomological explanations as a proposed taxonomy. We find this taxonomy and theories of causality, useful for understanding what can be expected, and not expected, from neural network explanations. The analysis additionally uncovers an ambiguity in the reviewed literature related to the goal of model explainability; is it understanding the ML model or, is it actionable explanations useful in the deployment domain?
Abstract:Our hypothesis is that by equipping certain agents in a multi-agent system controlling an intelligent building with automated decision support, two important factors will be increased. The first is energy saving in the building. The second is customer value---how the people in the building experience the effects of the actions of the agents. We give evidence for the truth of this hypothesis through experimental findings related to tools for artificial decision making. A number of assumptions related to agent control, through monitoring and delegation of tasks to other kinds of agents, of rooms at a test site are relaxed. Each assumption controls at least one uncertainty that complicates considerably the procedures for selecting actions part of each such agent. We show that in realistic decision situations, room-controlling agents can make bounded rational decisions even under dynamic real-time constraints. This result can be, and has been, generalized to other domains with even harsher time constraints.