Siddhartha Bhattacharyya

Anshumaan Chauhan, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, S. Vadivel

Convolutional Neural Networks have been used in a variety of image related applications after their rise in popularity due to ImageNet competition. Convolutional Neural Networks have shown remarkable results in applications including face recognition, moving target detection and tracking, classification of food based on the calorie content and many more. Designing of Convolutional Neural Networks requires experts having a cross domain knowledge and it is laborious, which requires a lot of time for testing different values for different hyperparameter along with the consideration of different configurations of existing architectures. Neural Architecture Search is an automated way of generating Neural Network architectures which saves researchers from all the brute-force testing trouble, but with the drawback of consuming a lot of computational resources for a prolonged period. In this paper, we propose an automated Neural Architecture Search framework DQNAS, guided by the principles of Reinforcement Learning along with One-shot Training which aims to generate neural network architectures that show superior performance and have minimum scalability problem.

Parth Ganeriwala, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, Raja Muthalagu

Transfer Learning has become one of the standard methods to solve problems to overcome the isolated learning paradigm by utilizing knowledge acquired for one task to solve another related one. However, research needs to be done, to identify the initial steps before inducing transfer learning to applications for further verification and explainablity. In this research, we have performed cross dataset analysis and network architecture repair for the lane detection application in autonomous vehicles. Lane detection is an important aspect of autonomous vehicles driving assistance system. In most circumstances, modern deep-learning-based lane recognition systems are successful, but they struggle with lanes with complex topologies. The proposed architecture, ERFCondLaneNet is an enhancement to the CondlaneNet used for lane identification framework to solve the difficulty of detecting lane lines with complex topologies like dense, curved and fork lines. The newly proposed technique was tested on two common lane detecting benchmarks, CULane and CurveLanes respectively, and two different backbones, ResNet and ERFNet. The researched technique with ERFCondLaneNet, exhibited similar performance in comparison to ResnetCondLaneNet, while using 33% less features, resulting in a reduction of model size by 46%.

Parth Ganeriwala, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, Sean Gunther et al.

The availability of high-quality datasets play a crucial role in advancing research and development especially, for safety critical and autonomous systems. In this paper, we present AssistTaxi, a comprehensive novel dataset which is a collection of images for runway and taxiway analysis. The dataset comprises of more than 300,000 frames of diverse and carefully collected data, gathered from Melbourne (MLB) and Grant-Valkaria (X59) general aviation airports. The importance of AssistTaxi lies in its potential to advance autonomous operations, enabling researchers and developers to train and evaluate algorithms for efficient and safe taxiing. Researchers can utilize AssistTaxi to benchmark their algorithms, assess performance, and explore novel approaches for runway and taxiway analysis. Addition-ally, the dataset serves as a valuable resource for validating and enhancing existing algorithms, facilitating innovation in autonomous operations for aviation. We also propose an initial approach to label the dataset using a contour based detection and line extraction technique.

Van Minh Nguyen, Nasheen Nur, William Stern et al.

The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated mental health crises worldwide, with social isolation and economic instability contributing to a rise in suicidal behavior. Suicide can result from social factors such as shame, abuse, abandonment, and mental health conditions like depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorders. As these conditions develop, signs of suicidal ideation may manifest in social media interactions. Analyzing social media data using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can help identify patterns of suicidal behavior, providing invaluable insights for suicide prevention agencies, professionals, and broader community awareness initiatives. Machine learning algorithms for this purpose require large volumes of accurately labeled data. Previous research has not fully explored the potential of incorporating explanations in analyzing and labeling longitudinal social media data. In this study, we employed a model explanation method, Layer Integrated Gradients, on top of a fine-tuned state-of-the-art language model, to assign each token from Reddit users' posts an attribution score for predicting suicidal ideation. By extracting and analyzing attributions of tokens from the data, we propose a methodology for preliminary screening of social media posts for suicidal ideation without using large language models during inference.

Parth Ganeriwala, Amy Alvarez, Abdullah AlQahtani et al.

The increasing complexity of autonomous systems has amplified the need for accurate and reliable labeling of runway and taxiway markings to ensure operational safety. Precise detection and labeling of these markings are critical for tasks such as navigation, landing assistance, and ground control automation. Existing labeling algorithms, like the Automated Line Identification and Notation Algorithm (ALINA), have demonstrated success in identifying taxiway markings but encounter significant challenges when applied to runway markings. This limitation arises due to notable differences in line characteristics, environmental context, and interference from elements such as shadows, tire marks, and varying surface conditions. To address these challenges, we modified ALINA by adjusting color thresholds and refining region of interest (ROI) selection to better suit runway-specific contexts. While these modifications yielded limited improvements, the algorithm still struggled with consistent runway identification, often mislabeling elements such as the horizon or non-relevant background features. This highlighted the need for a more robust solution capable of adapting to diverse visual interferences. In this paper, we propose integrating a classification step using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) named AssistNet. By incorporating this classification step, the detection pipeline becomes more resilient to environmental variations and misclassifications. This work not only identifies the challenges but also outlines solutions, paving the way for improved automated labeling techniques essential for autonomous aviation systems.

Mohammad Abdul Hafeez Khan, Marcello Mattei Di Eugeni, Benjamin Diaz et al.

Accurate assessment of intraventricular blood flow is essential for evaluating hemodynamic conditions in patients supported by Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs). However, clinical imaging is either incompatible with LVADs or yields sparse, low-quality velocity data. While Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations provide high-fidelity data, they are computationally intensive and impractical for routine clinical use. To address this, we propose LVADNet3D, a 3D convolutional autoencoder that reconstructs full-resolution intraventricular velocity fields from sparse velocity vector inputs. In contrast to a standard UNet3D model, LVADNet3D incorporates hybrid downsampling and a deeper encoder-decoder architecture with increased channel capacity to better capture spatial flow patterns. To train and evaluate the models, we generate a high-resolution synthetic dataset of intraventricular blood flow in LVAD-supported hearts using CFD simulations. We also investigate the effect of conditioning the models on anatomical and physiological priors. Across various input configurations, LVADNet3D outperforms the baseline UNet3D model, yielding lower reconstruction error and higher PSNR results.

Aneesha Guna, Parth Ganeriwala, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya

With the advancement of deep learning methods it is imperative that autonomous systems will increasingly become intelligent with the inclusion of advanced machine learning algorithms to execute a variety of autonomous operations. One such task involves the design and evaluation for a subsystem of the perception system for object detection and tracking. The challenge in the creation of software to solve the task is in discovering the need for a dataset, annotation of the dataset, selection of features, integration and refinement of existing algorithms, while evaluating performance metrics through training and testing. This research effort focuses on the development of a machine learning pipeline emphasizing the inclusion of assurance methods with increasing automation. In the process, a new dataset was created by collecting videos of moving object such as Roomba vacuum cleaner, emulating search and rescue (SAR) for indoor environment. Individual frames were extracted from the videos and labeled using a combination of manual and automated techniques. This annotated dataset was refined for accuracy by initially training it on YOLOv4. After the refinement of the dataset it was trained on a second YOLOv4 and a Mask R-CNN model, which is deployed on a Parrot Mambo drone to perform real-time object detection and tracking. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the models in accurately detecting and tracking the Roomba across multiple trials, achieving an average loss of 0.1942 and 96% accuracy.

Mohammed Abdul Hafeez Khan, Parth Ganeriwala, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya et al.

Labels are the cornerstone of supervised machine learning algorithms. Most visual recognition methods are fully supervised, using bounding boxes or pixel-wise segmentations for object localization. Traditional labeling methods, such as crowd-sourcing, are prohibitive due to cost, data privacy, amount of time, and potential errors on large datasets. To address these issues, we propose a novel annotation framework, Advanced Line Identification and Notation Algorithm (ALINA), which can be used for labeling taxiway datasets that consist of different camera perspectives and variable weather attributes (sunny and cloudy). Additionally, the CIRCular threshoLd pixEl Discovery And Traversal (CIRCLEDAT) algorithm has been proposed, which is an integral step in determining the pixels corresponding to taxiway line markings. Once the pixels are identified, ALINA generates corresponding pixel coordinate annotations on the frame. Using this approach, 60,249 frames from the taxiway dataset, AssistTaxi have been labeled. To evaluate the performance, a context-based edge map (CBEM) set was generated manually based on edge features and connectivity. The detection rate after testing the annotated labels with the CBEM set was recorded as 98.45%, attesting its dependability and effectiveness.