Sheng Jin

Zekang Yang, Wang Zeng, Sheng Jin et al.

Automated machine learning (AutoML) is a collection of techniques designed to automate the machine learning development process. While traditional AutoML approaches have been successfully applied in several critical steps of model development (e.g. hyperparameter optimization), there lacks a AutoML system that automates the entire end-to-end model production workflow for computer vision. To fill this blank, we propose a novel request-to-model task, which involves understanding the user's natural language request and execute the entire workflow to output production-ready models. This empowers non-expert individuals to easily build task-specific models via a user-friendly language interface. To facilitate development and evaluation, we develop a new experimental platform called AutoMMLab and a new benchmark called LAMP for studying key components in the end-to-end request-to-model pipeline. Hyperparameter optimization (HPO) is one of the most important components for AutoML. Traditional approaches mostly rely on trial-and-error, leading to inefficient parameter search. To solve this problem, we propose a novel LLM-based HPO algorithm, called HPO-LLaMA. Equipped with extensive knowledge and experience in model hyperparameter tuning, HPO-LLaMA achieves significant improvement of HPO efficiency. Dataset and code are available at https://github.com/yang-ze-kang/AutoMMLab.

Jie Yang, Wang Zeng, Sheng Jin et al.

Recent advancements in Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) have greatly improved their abilities in image understanding. However, these models often struggle with grasping pixel-level semantic details, e.g., the keypoints of an object. To bridge this gap, we introduce the novel challenge of Semantic Keypoint Comprehension, which aims to comprehend keypoints across different task scenarios, including keypoint semantic understanding, visual prompt-based keypoint detection, and textual prompt-based keypoint detection. Moreover, we introduce KptLLM, a unified multimodal model that utilizes an identify-then-detect strategy to effectively address these challenges. KptLLM underscores the initial discernment of semantics in keypoints, followed by the precise determination of their positions through a chain-of-thought process. With several carefully designed modules, KptLLM adeptly handles various modality inputs, facilitating the interpretation of both semantic contents and keypoint locations. Our extensive experiments demonstrate KptLLM's superiority in various keypoint detection benchmarks and its unique semantic capabilities in interpreting keypoints.

Jie Yang, Wang Zeng, Sheng Jin et al.

The emergence of Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) has revolutionized image understanding by bridging textual and visual modalities. However, these models often struggle with capturing fine-grained semantic information, such as the precise identification and analysis of object keypoints. Keypoints, as structure-aware, pixel-level, and compact representations of objects, particularly articulated ones, play a crucial role in applications such as fine-grained image analysis, object retrieval, and behavior recognition. In this paper, we propose KptLLM++, a novel multimodal large language model that specifically designed for generic keypoint comprehension through the integration of diverse input modalities guided by user-defined instructions. By unifying keypoint detection across varied contexts, KptLLM++ establishes itself as an advanced interface, fostering more effective human-AI collaboration. The model is built upon a novel identify-then-detect paradigm, which first interprets keypoint semantics and subsequently localizes their precise positions through a structured chain-of-thought reasoning mechanism. To push the boundaries of performance, we have scaled up the training dataset to over 500K samples, encompassing diverse objects, keypoint categories, image styles, and scenarios with complex occlusions. This extensive scaling enables KptLLM++ to unlock its potential, achieving remarkable accuracy and generalization. Comprehensive experiments on multiple keypoint detection benchmarks demonstrate its state-of-the-art performance, underscoring its potential as a unified solution for fine-grained image understanding and its transformative implications for human-AI interaction.