YOLOv8s-SNC: An Improved Safety-Helmet-Wearing Detection Algorithm Based on YOLOv8

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The use of safety helmets in industrial settings is crucial for preventing head injuries. However, traditional helmet detection methods often struggle with complex and dynamic environments. To address this challenge, we propose YOLOv8s-SNC, an improved YOLOv8 algorithm for robust helmet detection in industrial scenarios. The proposed method introduces the SPD-Conv module to preserve feature details, the SEResNeXt detection head to enhance feature representation, and the C2f-CA module to improve the model’s ability to capture key information, particularly for small and dense targets. Additionally, a dedicated small object detection layer is integrated to improve detection accuracy for small targets. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of YOLOv8s-SNC. When compared to the original YOLOv8, the enhanced algorithm shows a 2.6% improvement in precision (P), a 7.6% increase in recall (R), a 6.5% enhancement in mAP_0.5, and a 4.1% improvement in mean average precision (mAP). This study contributes a novel solution for industrial safety helmet detection, enhancing worker safety and efficiency.