Rethinking Semantic Segmentation Evaluation for Explainability and Model Selection

Semantic segmentation aims to robustly predict coherent class labels for entire regions of an image. It is a scene understanding task that powers real-world applications (e.g., autonomous navigation). One important application, the use of imagery for automated semantic understanding of pedestrian environments, provides remote mapping of accessibility features in street environments. This application (and others like it) require detailed geometric information of geographical objects. Semantic segmentation is a prerequisite for this task since it maps contiguous regions of the same class as single entities. Importantly, semantic segmentation uses like ours are not pixel-wise outcomes; however, most of their quantitative evaluation metrics (e.g., mean Intersection Over Union) are based on pixel-wise similarities to a ground-truth, which fails to emphasize over- and under-segmentation properties of a segmentation model. Here, we introduce a new metric to assess region-based over- and under-segmentation. We analyze and compare it to other metrics, demonstrating that the use of our metric lends greater explainability to semantic segmentation model performance in real-world applications

Programming Language Tools and Techniques for 3D Printing

We propose a research agenda to investigate programming language techniques for improving affordable, end-user desktop manufacturing processes such as 3D printing. Our goal is to adapt programming languages tools and extend the decades of research in industrial, high-end CAD/CAM in order to help make affordable desktop manufacturing processes more accurate, fast, reliable, and accessible to end-users. We focus on three major areas where 3D printing can benefit from programming language tools: design synthesis, optimizing compilation, and runtime monitoring. We present preliminary results on synthesizing editable CAD models from difficult-to-edit surface meshes, discuss potential new compilation strategies, and propose runtime monitoring techniques. We conclude by discussing additional near-future directions we intend to pursue

Phase 2 Comprehensive Acquisition Plan (CAP)- University of Washington ITS4US Deployment Project

693JJ321C000004This Comprehensive Acquisition Plan (CAP) provides an overview of the proposed acquisition approach for the University of Washington (UW) ITS4US project, the Transportation Data Equity Initiative (TDEI). The TDEI project is a software-focused project which will primarily deployed on the cloud. The TDEI project will acquire mobile phones that will be used to run applications that demonstrate the value of the TDEI, computers and storage to be used by TDEI staff for data processing and cloud resources for the development, deployment, and operation of the TDEI system. This document identifies the acquisition needs and requirements for the mobile phones, computers, storage, and cloud resources that will be acquired by the project

Phase 1 User Needs Identification and Requirements Planning - University of Washington ITS4US Deployment Project

693JJ321C000004This report is the User Needs Identification and Requirements Planning (UNIRP) document for the Transportation Data Equity Initiative project, an effort funded by the Federal Highway Administration\u2019s ITS4US program. The project, led by the University of Washington\u2019s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology and the Washington State Transportation Center, will develop a national pipeline of sidewalk data intended to help all people navigate more easily. The project will also help extend the national data standards for on-demand transit services (GTFS-Flex) and for mapping of multi-level transit stations (GTFS-Pathways).The project will demonstrate the use of those data and standards in three applications: a multi-modal, accessible travel planner (an extension of Access Map), an expansion of Microsoft\u2019s Soundscape application, which helps blind and low-vision people navigate and explore the environment, and a simulation tool to be built by Unity Technologies that allows travelers to explore the layout of transit stations prior to using those facilities. The UNIRP describes the plan for identifying and prioritizing user needs, and the process by which those needs will be handled within the project. This includes recruiting and working with stakeholders

Phase 1 Integrated Complete Trip Deployment Plan - University of Washington ITS4US Deployment Project

693JJ321C000004This document presents the Integrated Complete Trip Deployment Plan (ICTDP) for the University of Washington (UW) ITS4US Deployment Project, which is developing and deploying the Transportation Data Equity Initiative (TDEI). This ITS4US Deployment Project currently is in Phase 1, planning and systems engineering development, in which the preliminary idea is developed into a structured concept that is suitable for further design, building, testing, and operation. This ICTDP summarizes the refined deployment concept developed in Phase 1 and sets forth the high-level Phase 2 (Design/Build/Test) and Phase 3 (Operate/Maintain/Evaluate) Schedule. It provides a refined Phase 1 deployment concept and the technical approach the UW ITS4US team will use for phases 2 and 3. It also provides the current deployment schedule for phases 2 and 3, along with a cost estimate for those phase

The <i>Plasmodium</i> eukaryotic initiation factor-2α kinase IK2 controls the latency of sporozoites in the mosquito salivary glands

Sporozoites, the invasive form of malaria parasites transmitted by mosquitoes, are quiescent while in the insect salivary glands. Sporozoites only differentiate inside of the hepatocytes of the mammalian host. We show that sporozoite latency is an active process controlled by a eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF2α) kinase (IK2) and a phosphatase. IK2 activity is dominant in salivary gland sporozoites, leading to an inhibition of translation and accumulation of stalled mRNAs into granules. When sporozoites are injected into the mammalian host, an eIF2α phosphatase removes the PO4 from eIF2α-P, and the repression of translation is alleviated to permit their transformation into liver stages. In IK2 knockout sporozoites, eIF2α is not phosphorylated and the parasites transform prematurely into liver stages and lose their infectivity. Thus, to complete their life cycle, Plasmodium sporozoites exploit the mechanism that regulates stress responses in eukaryotic cells