StairWave Transformer: For Fast Utilization of Recognition Function in Various Unmanned Vehicles

Abstract

Newly introduced vehicles come with various added functions, each time utilizing data from different sensors. One prominent related function is autonomous driving, which is performed in cooperation with multiple sensors. These sensors mainly include image sensors, depth sensors, and infrared detection technology for nighttime use, and they mostly generate data based on image processing methods. In this paper, we propose a model that utilizes a parallel transformer design to gradually reduce the size of input data in a manner similar to a stairway, allowing for the effective use of such data and efficient learning. In contrast to the conventional DETR, this model demonstrates its capability to be trained effectively with smaller datasets and achieves rapid convergence. When it comes to classification, it notably diminishes computational demands, scaling down by approximately 6.75 times in comparison to ViT-Base, all the while maintaining an accuracy margin of within ±3%. Additionally, even in cases where sensor positions may exhibit slight misalignment due to variations in data input for object detection, it manages to yield consistent results, unfazed by the differences in the field of view taken into consideration. The proposed model is named Stairwave and is characterized by a parallel structure that retains a staircase-like form.