Multiple Instance Hybrid Estimator for Learning Target Signatures

Signature-based detectors for hyperspectral target detection rely on knowing the specific target signature in advance. However, target signature are often difficult or impossible to obtain. Furthermore, common methods for obtaining target signatures, such as from laboratory measurements or manual selection from an image scene, usually do not capture the discriminative features of target class. In this paper, an approach for estimating a discriminative target signature from imprecise labels is presented. The proposed approach maximizes the response of the hybrid sub-pixel detector within a multiple instance learning framework and estimates a set of discriminative target signatures. After learning target signatures, any signature based detector can then be applied on test data. Both simulated and real hyperspectral target detection experiments are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the method

Heart Beat Characterization from Ballistocardiogram Signals using Extended Functions of Multiple Instances

A multiple instance learning (MIL) method, extended Function of Multiple Instances ($e$FUMI), is applied to ballistocardiogram (BCG) signals produced by a hydraulic bed sensor. The goal of this approach is to learn a personalized heartbeat "concept" for an individual. This heartbeat concept is a prototype (or "signature") that characterizes the heartbeat pattern for an individual in ballistocardiogram data. The $e$FUMI method models the problem of learning a heartbeat concept from a BCG signal as a MIL problem. This approach elegantly addresses the uncertainty inherent in a BCG signal e. g., misalignment between training data and ground truth, mis-collection of heartbeat by some transducers, etc. Given a BCG training signal coupled with a ground truth signal (e.g., a pulse finger sensor), training "bags" labeled with only binary labels denoting if a training bag contains a heartbeat signal or not can be generated. Then, using these bags, $e$FUMI learns a personalized concept of heartbeat for a subject as well as several non-heartbeat background concepts. After learning the heartbeat concept, heartbeat detection and heart rate estimation can be applied to test data. Experimental results show that the estimated heartbeat concept found by $e$FUMI is more representative and a more discriminative prototype of the heartbeat signals than those found by comparison MIL methods in the literature.Comment: IEEE EMBC 2016, pp. 1-

Target concept learning from ambiguously labeled data

The multiple instance learning problem addresses the case where training data comes with label ambiguity, i.e., the learner has access only to inaccurately labeled data. For example, in target detection from remotely sensed hyperspectral imagery, targets are usually sub-pixel and the ground truthing of the targets according to GPS coordinates could drift across several meters. Thus the locations of the targets corresponding to the hyperspectral image are inaccurate. Training a supervised algorithm or extracting target signatures from this kind of labels is intractable. This dissertation investigates the topic target concept learning from ambiguously labeled data comprehensively; reviews and proposes several methods that either learn a set of representative or discriminative target concepts. The multiple instance hybrid estimator (MI-HE) maximizes the response of the hybrid detector under a generalized mean framework and estimates a set of discriminative target concepts. MI-HE adopts a linear mixture model and iterates between estimating a set of discriminative target and non-target signatures and solving a sparse unmixing problem. MI-HE preserves bag-level label information for each positive bag and is able to estimate a target concept that is commonly shared among positive bags. Furthermore, MI-HE has the potential to learn multiple signatures to address signature variability. After learning target concept, signature based detector could be applied for target detection. The presented algorithms were tested in many applications including simulated and real hyperspectral target detection, heartbeat characterization from ballistocardiogram signals and tree species classification from remotely sensed data. The presented algorithms were proven to be effective in learning high-quality target signatures and consistently achieved superior performance over the state-of-the-art comparison algorithms.Includes biblographical reference

GatorSense/MIACE_py: Initial release of MIACE in python

Python Implementation of MI-ACE and MI-SMF Target Characterization Algorithm

Self-Paced Convolutional Neural Network for PolSAR Images Classification

Fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) can transmit and receive electromagnetic energy on four polarization channels (HH, HV, VH, VV). The data acquired from four channels have both similarities and complementarities. Utilizing the information between the four channels can considerably improve the performance of PolSAR image classification. Convolutional neural network can be used to extract the channel-spatial features of PolSAR images. Self-paced learning has been demonstrated to be instrumental in enhancing the learning robustness of convolutional neural network. In this paper, a novel classification method for PolSAR images using self-paced convolutional neural network (SPCNN) is proposed. In our method, each pixel is denoted by a 3-dimensional tensor block formed by its scattering intensity values on four channels, Pauli’s RGB values and its neighborhood information. Then, we train SPCNN to extract the channel-spatial features and obtain the classification results. Inspired by self-paced learning, SPCNN learns the easier samples first and gradually involves more difficult samples into the training process. This learning mechanism can make network converge to better values. The proposed method achieved state-of-the-art performances on four real PolSAR dataset