A Task-Risk Consistency Object Detection Framework Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning

Abstract

A discernible gap has materialized between the expectations for object detection tasks in optical remote sensing images and the increasingly sophisticated design methods. The flexibility of deep learning object detection algorithms allows the selection and combination of multiple basic structures and model sizes, but this selection process relies heavily on human experience and lacks reliability when faced with special scenarios or extreme data distribution. To address these inherent challenges, this study proposes an approach that leverages deep reinforcement learning within the framework of vision tasks. This study introduces a Task-Risk Consistent Intelligent Detection Framework (TRC-ODF) for object detection in optical remote sensing images. The proposed framework designs a model optimization strategy based on deep reinforcement learning that systematically integrates the available information from images and vision processes. The core of the reinforcement learning agent is the proposed task-risk consistency reward mechanism, which is the driving force behind the optimal prediction allocation in the decision-making process. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework, multiple sets of empirical evaluations are conducted on representative optical remote sensing image datasets: RSOD, NWPU VHR-10, and DIOR. When applying the proposed framework to representative advanced detection models, the mean average precision (mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95) is improved by 0.8–5.4 and 0.4–2.7, respectively. The obtained results showcase the considerable promise and potential of the TRC-ODF framework to address the challenges associated with object detection in optical remote sensing images.