[ros-users] Reinventing the wheel: training and evaluation of algorithms for objects detection in images

[Kurt Konolige]

Roderigo, I agree that imposing ROS on everyone isn't a good way to go, 
if you don't want all of it to just work on one problem.  That's why, 
for example, OpenCV exists independently from ROS.  We also encourage 
everyone to write their code first as libraries with ROS-independent 
APIs, and then add ROS wrappers.

The REIN project is similar in that we have tried to keep the basic 
structure independent of ROS.  We would be happy to have a larger 
community contributing to it.  It's not a trivial task - mixing and 
matching techniques is not that easy, and we have yet to push a simple 
textured object detector completely through the framework.

Cheers --Kurt

On 11/21/2010 1:09 PM, Rodrigo Benenson wrote:
> Hello all.
>
>
>       I'm contacting you because I am considering starting a new open
>       source project to solve a specific problem: training and
>       evaluating objects detection algorithms.
>
>       Hundreds of students have been there before: "I want to create a
>       program that detects objects in images".
>       They choose a dataset for training (e.g. INRIA pedestrians), a
>       feature descriptor (e.g. HOG), a machine learning method (e.g.
>       linear SVM), and then, they write the code to get it all together.
>
>       In the best case they will take bits and pieces from multiple
>       places and spend a few weeks on the glue code. In the worst case
>       they will spend months reimplementing existing methods.
>
>       It is time to stop the madness.
>       Training detectors for objects detection in images is a specific
>       and well defined problem.
>       It is time to share our effort and build a reference open source
>       tool to solve this common problem.
>       We should have an open source tool that provides all the common
>       bits, the glue and allows us to focus on what we really care: the
>       algorithms.
>
>       In some sense OpenCv
>       <http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2Fopencv.willowgarage.com%2F>
>       2.2 helps a lot to the task, however OpenCv is aimed to be a
>       generic library not a specific application framework. In that
>       sense it will never provide the desired "install, run, see the
>       graphs coming out" experience.
>
>       Also ROS.org
>       <http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http%3A%2F%2FROS.org> helps a
>       lot the task, by providing a generic framework to create and
>       exchange software modules, along with standard tools for messages
>       passing, data storage and exploration. However this framework by
>       itself has a non negligible learning curve and it is unfamiliar to
>       anyone outside the robotics community.
>
>
>       I currently have my own idea of how things could be. However
>       before creating "yet one more framework" I would like to have
>       /your/ input on the topic.
>
>       I have created a short form to collect your opinions. I would be
>       very glad if you could help me go in the right direction by giving
>       your input.
>
>       https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFFzaDlLM1liVGNOS2FENnhrc1VWckE6MQ
>       <http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https%3A%2F%2Fspreadsheets.google.com%2Fviewform%3Fformkey%3DdFFzaDlLM1liVGNOS2FENnhrc1VWckE6MQ>
>
>       The form is anonymous and the results are public.
>
>       Based your opinions and ideas I will do my best to move forward an
>       usable open source solution.
>       Further information will be posted at
>       https://wave.google.com/wave/waveref/googlewave.com/w+yH-HOCb6H
>       <http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwave.google.com%2Fwave%2Fwaveref%2Fgooglewave.com%2Fw%2ByH-HOCb6H>
>
>
>       Best regards,
>       rodrigo benenson phd.
>
>       ps: If you are interested do not hesitate to send me a message.
>       You can contact me via github as "rodrigob".
>
>
>
>
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