Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

PlantSR: Super-Resolution Improves Object Detection in Plant Images

Version 1 : Received: 15 May 2024 / Approved: 16 May 2024 / Online: 16 May 2024 (10:02:03 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Jiang, T.; Yu, Q.; Zhong, Y.; Shao, M. PlantSR: Super-Resolution Improves Object Detection in Plant Images. J. Imaging 2024, 10, 137. Jiang, T.; Yu, Q.; Zhong, Y.; Shao, M. PlantSR: Super-Resolution Improves Object Detection in Plant Images. J. Imaging 2024, 10, 137.

Abstract

Recent advancements in computer vision, especially deep learning models, have shown considerable promise in tasks related to plant image object detection. However, the efficiency of these deep learning models heavily relies on input image quality, with low-resolution images significantly hindering model performance. Therefore, reconstructing high-quality images through specific techniques will help extract features from plant images, thus improve model performance. In this study, we explored the value of super-resolution technology for improving object detection model performance on plant images. Firstly, we built a comprehensive dataset comprising 1030 high-resolution plant images, named the PlantSR dataset. Subsequently, we developed a super-resolution model using the PlantSR dataset and benchmarked it against several state-or-the-art models designed for general image super-resolution tasks. Our proposed model demonstrated superior performance on the PlantSR dataset, indicating its efficacy in enhancing the super-resolution of plant images. Furthermore, we explored the effect of super-resolution on two specific object detection tasks: apple counting and soybean seed counting. By incorporating super-resolution as a pre-processing step, we observed a significant reduction in mean absolute error. Specifically, on the YOLOv7 model employed for apple counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 13.085 to 5.71. Similarly, on the P2PNet-Soy model utilized for soybean seed counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 19.159 to 15.085. These findings underscore the substantial potential of super-resolution technology in improving the performance of object detection models for accurately detecting and counting specific plants from images. The source codes and associated datasets are available at https://github.com/SkyCol/PlantSR.

Keywords

super resolution; object detection; image reconstruction; image processing; deep learning; plant phenotypes

Subject

Computer Science and Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.