EPypes: a framework for building event-driven data processing pipelines

Many data processing systems are naturally modeled as pipelines, where data flows though a network of computational procedures. This representation is particularly suitable for computer vision algorithms, which in most cases possess complex logic and a big number of parameters to tune. In addition, online vision systems, such as those in the industrial automation context, have to communicate with other distributed nodes. When developing a vision system, one normally proceeds from ad hoc experimentation and prototyping to highly structured system integration. The early stages of this continuum are characterized with the challenges of developing a feasible algorithm, while the latter deal with composing the vision function with other components in a networked environment. In between, one strives to manage the complexity of the developed system, as well as to preserve existing knowledge. To tackle these challenges, this paper presents EPypes, an architecture and Python-based software framework for developing vision algorithms in a form of computational graphs and their integration with distributed systems based on publish-subscribe communication. EPypes facilitates flexibility of algorithm prototyping, as well as provides a structured approach to managing algorithm logic and exposing the developed pipelines as a part of online systems

A Stream Algebra for Computer Vision Pipelines

Recent interest in developing online computer vision algorithms is spurred in part by a growth of applications capable of generating large volumes of images and videos. These applications are rich sources of images and video streams. Online vision algorithms for managing, processing and analyzing these streams need to rely upon streaming concepts, such as pipelines, to ensure timely and incremental processing of data. This paper is a first attempt at defining a formal stream algebra that provides a mathematical description of vision pipelines and describes the distributed manipulation of image and video streams. We also show how our algebra can effectively describe the vision pipelines of two state of the art techniques