Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network Research Articles

Manipulation of a Complex Object Using Dual-Arm Robot with Mask R-CNN and Grasping Strategy

Hot forging is one of the common manufacturing processes for producing brass workpieces. However forging produces flash which is a thin metal part around the desired part formed with an excessive material. Using robots with vision system to manipulate this workpiece has encountered several challenging issues, e.g. the uncertain shape of flash, color, reflection of brass surface, different lighting condition, and the uncertainty surrounding the position and orientation of the workpiece. In this research, Mask region-based convolutional neural network together with image processing is used to resolve these issues. The depth camera can provide images for visual detection. Machine learning Mask region-based convolutional neural network model was trained with color images and the position of the object is determined by the depth image. A dual arm 7 degree of freedom collaborative robot with proposed grasping strategy is used to grasp the workpiece that can be in inappropriate position and pose. Eventually, experiments were conducted to assess the visual detection process and the grasp planning of the robot.

A Novel Liver Tumor segmentation of Adverse Propagation Advanced Swin Transformer Network with Mask region-based convolutional neural networks

The diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases from computed tomography (CT) images is an indispensable task for segmentation of Liver & its tumours. Due to the uneven presence, fuzzy borders, diverse densities, shapes and sizes of lesions segmentation of liver & its tumour is a difficult task. At this point we mainly focused on deep learning algorithms for segmenting liver and its tumour from abdominal CT scan images thereafter minimising the time & energy used for a liver diseases diagnosis This study aims to classify and segment liver tumors using a novel deep learning-based model. A Mask region-based convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) model is proposed for multiorgan segmentation to aid esophageal radiation treatment. Due to the fact that organ boundaries may be fuzzy and organ shapes are various, original Mask R-CNN works well on natural image segmentation while leaves something to be desired on the multiorgan segmentation task. Addressing it, the advantages of this method are threefold: (1) a ROI (region of interest) generation method is presented in the RPN (region proposal network) which is able to utilize multiscale semantic features. (2) A prebackground classification subnetwork is integrated to the original mask generation branch to improve the precision of multiorgan segmentation. The segmented image is added to the Adverse Propagation Advanced Swin Transformer Network (APESTNet) to prevent overfitting. The proposed model is based on CT volume slices of patients with liver tumors and evaluated on the public 3D dataset IRCADB01.The proposed model dataset is split into training as 60% and testing as 40 % for classification. The proposed model's accuracy and recall are 99.23 % and 98.24 %, respectively.

Modified reconstruction of boiler numerical temperature field based on flame image feature extraction

ABSTRACT Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is a common method to obtain the temperature field distribution within the furnace. However, in order to reduce computational complexity, the numerical simulation involve simplifications in boundary conditions and model parameters. As a result, the temperature field distribution deviates from the actual operating conditions. This paper proposes a numerical temperature field modification method based on flame images. Flame images corresponding to the operational conditions are collected using the Industrial Flame Monitoring System (IFMS). The flame images are preprocessed, and the contour of the flame’s core region is extracted using the Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) method. The geometric features of the flame are extracted, and matrix calculations are applied to modify the numerical temperature field. The modified temperature field exhibits a deviation in the combustion center, aligning with the actual operation of the boiler. A comparison between the modified temperature field and the temperature measurements from flue gas shows consistent temperature trends. The absolute error (AE) under different operating conditions is under 8.8 K, and the relative error (RE) remains below 1.3%. The analysis results demonstrate that it can enhance the accuracy of temperature field calculations by the modification from flame image features.

Research on Intelligent Detection and Segmentation of Rock Joints Based on Deep Learning

The current methods for detecting joints on tunnel face rely primarily on manual sketches, which are associated with issues of low detection efficiency and subjectivity. To address these concerns, this paper presents an intelligent recognition and segmentation algorithm based on Mask R-CNN (mask region-based convolutional neural network) for detecting joint targets on tunnel face images and automatically segmenting them, thereby improving detection efficiency and objectivity of the results. Additionally, to tackle the challenge of low detection accuracy in existing image processing methods, particularly for complex tunnel joint surfaces in dark environments, the paper introduces a path aggregation network (PANet) to enhance the fusion capability of feature information in Mask R-CNN, thereby improving the accuracy of the intelligent detection method. The algorithm was trained on a dataset of 800 tunnel face images, and the research findings demonstrate that it can quickly detect the position of joints on tunnel face images and assign masks to the joint pixel regions to achieve joint segmentation. The mean average precision (mAP) of the detection boxes and segmentation in the 80 test set images were 58.0% and 49.2%, respectively, which outperforms the original Mask R-CNN algorithm and other intelligent recognition and segmentation algorithms.

Computer vision models enable mixed linear modeling to predict arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization using fungal morphology

The presence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in vascular land plant roots is one of the most ancient of symbioses supporting nitrogen and phosphorus exchange for photosynthetically derived carbon. Here we provide a multi-scale modeling approach to predict AMF colonization of a worldwide crop from a Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) population derived from Sorghum bicolor and S. propinquum. The high-throughput phenotyping methods of fungal structures here rely on a Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) in computer vision for pixel-wise fungal structure segmentations and mixed linear models to explore the relations of AMF colonization, root niche, and fungal structure allocation. Models proposed capture over 95% of the variation in AMF colonization as a function of root niche and relative abundance of fungal structures in each plant. Arbuscule allocation is a significant predictor of AMF colonization among sibling plants. Arbuscules and extraradical hyphae implicated in nutrient exchange predict highest AMF colonization in the top root section. Our work demonstrates that deep learning can be used by the community for the high-throughput phenotyping of AMF in plant roots. Mixed linear modeling provides a framework for testing hypotheses about AMF colonization phenotypes as a function of root niche and fungal structure allocations.

Comparing Deep Learning and MCWST Approaches for Individual Tree Crown Segmentation

Abstract. Accurate segmentation of individual tree crowns (ITC) segmentation is essential for investigating tree-level based growth trends and assessing tree vitality. ITC segmentation using remote sensing data faces challenges due to crown heterogeneity, overlapping crowns and data quality. Currently, both classical and deep learning methods have been employed for crown detection and segmentation. However, the effectiveness of deep learning based approaches is limited by the need for high-quality annotated datasets. Benefiting from the BaKIM project, a high-quality annotated dataset can be provided and tested with a Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN). In addition, we have used the deep learning based approach to detect the tree locations thus refining the previous Marker controlled Watershed Transformation (MCWST) segmentation approach. The experimental results show that the Mask R-CNN model exhibits better model performance and less time cost compared to the MCWST algorithm for ITC segmentation. In summary, the proposed framework can achieve robust and fast ITC segmentation, which has the potential to support various forest applications such as tree vitality estimation.

An Optimized Instance Segmentation of Underlying Surface in Low-Altitude TIR Sensing Images for Enhancing the Calculation of LSTs.

The calculation of land surface temperatures (LSTs) via low-altitude thermal infrared remote (TIR) sensing images at a block scale is gaining attention. However, the accurate calculation of LSTs requires a precise determination of the range of various underlying surfaces in the TIR images, and existing approaches face challenges in effectively segmenting the underlying surfaces in the TIR images. To address this challenge, this study proposes a deep learning (DL) methodology to complete the instance segmentation and quantification of underlying surfaces through the low-altitude TIR image dataset. Mask region-based convolutional neural networks were utilized for pixel-level classification and segmentation with an image dataset of 1350 annotated TIR images of an urban rail transit hub with a complex distribution of underlying surfaces. Subsequently, the hyper-parameters and architecture were optimized for the precise classification of the underlying surfaces. The algorithms were validated using 150 new TIR images, and four evaluation indictors demonstrated that the optimized algorithm outperformed the other algorithms. High-quality segmented masks of the underlying surfaces were generated, and the area of each instance was obtained by counting the true-positive pixels with values of 1. This research promotes the accurate calculation of LSTs based on the low-altitude TIR sensing images.

Automated Text Recognition and Segmentation for Historic Map Vectorization: A Mask R-CNN and UNet Approach

Historic maps are essential for comprehending how buildings and landscapes have changed over time. For this—vectorization can be a useful method of analysis for an extensive collection of these maps. However, text overlaps with structural elements—often makes this process more difficult. Therefore, an automated pipeline for text recognition, pixel-level text mask creation, dataset generation, and text bounding box detection has been proposed. Findings shows—text segmentation, detection, and recognition were demonstrated by the combination of Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) and UNet model achieved a 99.12% of all text occurrences in images—which also attained an accuracy of 87.72% while collecting text inside bounding boxes. This end-to-end pipeline shows potential for a wide range of future uses, especially when it comes to text removal for the purpose of making historic maps easier to vectorize and analyze—which will improve the understanding of historical buildings and landscapes.

Application of deep learning to pressure injury staging.

Accurate assessment of pressure injuries (PIs) is necessary for a good outcome. Junior and non-specialist nurses have less experience with PIs and lack clinical practice, and so have difficulty staging them accurately. In this work, a deep learning-based system for PI staging and tissue classification is proposed to help improve its accuracy and efficiency in clinical practice, and save healthcare costs. A total of 1610 cases of PI and their corresponding photographs were collected from clinical practice, and each sample was accurately staged and the tissues labelled by experts for training a Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN, Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research, Meta, US) object detection and instance segmentation network. A recognition system was set up to automatically stage and classify the tissues of the remotely uploaded PI photographs. On a test set of 100 samples, the average precision of this model for stage recognition reached 0.603, which exceeded that of the medical personnel involved in the comparative evaluation, including an enterostomal therapist. In this study, the deep learning-based PI staging system achieved the evaluation performance of a nurse with professional training in wound care. This low-cost system could help overcome the difficulty of identifying PIs by junior and non-specialist nurses, and provide valuable auxiliary clinical information.

Fusion of Mask RCNN and multi-augmentation for rice recognition

In the real world, the appearance of similar rice varieties depends on various factors such as resolution, angle, lighting conditions, and perspective. Additionally, complex environmental factors and characteristics of each rice type, such as enhanced light intensity, cross-polarization, and shading, rice background color, and image similarity, play a role. This indicates that the data augmentation process may enhance the accuracy of crop identification, particularly in the context of self-supervised machine learning. The aim of this research is to develop a precise rice segmentation method based on the improved Mask R-CNN (Region-based Convolutional Neural Network) with multitask data augmentation. The Mask R-CNN model is enhanced by incorporating multitask input to improve feature extraction for rice. Experimental results demonstrate that the improved Mask R-CNN model can accurately segment various rice types under different conditions, such as different background colors and varying sizes of rice grains. The achieved precision, recall, F1 score, and segmentation mean Average Precision (mAP) are 95.5%, 96.3%, 95.9%, and 0.924, respectively. The average runtime on the test set is 0.35 seconds per image. Our method outperforms two comparative approaches, showcasing its ability to accurately segment rice in the market deployment phase with near real-time performance. This study establishes the foundation for the accurate detection of valuable agricultural products.

Deep learning workflow to support in-flight processing of digital aerial imagery for wildlife population surveys.

Deep learning shows promise for automating detection and classification of wildlife from digital aerial imagery to support cost-efficient remote sensing solutions for wildlife population monitoring. To support in-flight orthorectification and machine learning processing to detect and classify wildlife from imagery in near real-time, we evaluated deep learning methods that address hardware limitations and the need for processing efficiencies to support the envisioned in-flight workflow. We developed an annotated dataset for a suite of marine birds from high-resolution digital aerial imagery collected over open water environments to train the models. The proposed 3-stage workflow for automated, in-flight data processing includes: 1) image filtering based on the probability of any bird occurrence, 2) bird instance detection, and 3) bird instance classification. For image filtering, we compared the performance of a binary classifier with Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) as a means of sub-setting large volumes of imagery based on the probability of at least one bird occurrence in an image. On both the validation and test datasets, the binary classifier achieved higher performance than Mask R-CNN for predicting bird occurrence at the image-level. We recommend the binary classifier over Mask R-CNN for workflow first-stage filtering. For bird instance detection, we leveraged Mask R-CNN as our detection framework and proposed an iterative refinement method to bootstrap our predicted detections from loose ground-truth annotations. We also discuss future work to address the taxonomic classification phase of the envisioned workflow.

Deep Learning Detection and Segmentation of Facet Joints in Ultrasound Images Based on Convolutional Neural Networks and Enhanced Data Annotation.

The facet joint injection is the most common procedure used to release lower back pain. In this paper, we proposed a deep learning method for detecting and segmenting facet joints in ultrasound images based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and enhanced data annotation. In the enhanced data annotation, a facet joint was considered as the first target and the ventral complex as the second target to improve the capability of CNNs in recognizing the facet joint. A total of 300 cases of patients undergoing pain treatment were included. The ultrasound images were captured and labeled by two professional anesthesiologists, and then augmented to train a deep learning model based on the Mask Region-based CNN (Mask R-CNN). The performance of the deep learning model was evaluated using the average precision (AP) on the testing sets. The data augmentation and data annotation methods were found to improve the AP. The AP50 for facet joint detection and segmentation was 90.4% and 85.0%, respectively, demonstrating the satisfying performance of the deep learning model. We presented a deep learning method for facet joint detection and segmentation in ultrasound images based on enhanced data annotation and the Mask R-CNN. The feasibility and potential of deep learning techniques in facet joint ultrasound image analysis have been demonstrated.

Lower Extremity Growth according to AI Automated Femorotibial Length Measurement on Slot-Scanning Radiographs in Pediatric Patients.

Background Commonly used pediatric lower extremity growth standards are based on small, dated data sets. Artificial intelligence (AI) enables creation of updated growth standards. Purpose To train an AI model using standing slot-scanning radiographs in a racially diverse data set of pediatric patients to measure lower extremity length and to compare expected growth curves derived using AI measurements to those of the conventional Anderson-Green method. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included pediatric patients aged 0-21 years who underwent at least two slot-scanning radiographs in routine clinical care between August 2015 and February 2022. A Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network was trained to segment the femur and tibia on radiographs and measure total leg, femoral, and tibial length; accuracy was assessed with mean absolute error. AI measurements were used to create quantile polynomial regression femoral and tibial growth curves, which were compared with the growth curves of the Anderson-Green method for coverage based on the central 90% of the estimated growth distribution. Results In total, 1874 examinations in 523 patients (mean age, 12.7 years ± 2.8 [SD]; 349 female patients) were included; 40% of patients self-identified as White and not Hispanic or Latino, and the remaining 60% self-identified as belonging to a different racial or ethnic group. The AI measurement training, validation, and internal test sets included 114, 25, and 64 examinations, respectively. The mean absolute errors of AI measurements of the femur, tibia, and lower extremity in the test data set were 0.25, 0.27, and 0.33 cm, respectively. All 1874 examinations were used to generate growth curves. AI growth curves more accurately represented lower extremity growth in an external test set (n = 154 examinations) than the Anderson-Green method (90% coverage probability: 86.7% [95% CI: 82.9, 90.5] for AI model vs 73.4% [95% CI: 68.4, 78.3] for Anderson-Green method; χ2 test, P < .001). Conclusion Lower extremity growth curves derived from AI measurements on standing slot-scanning radiographs from a diverse pediatric data set enabled more accurate prediction of pediatric growth. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Deep Learning-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Thoracolumbar Fracture Features on Lateral Radiographs.

This study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning (DL) algorithm for the quantitative measurement of thoracolumbar (TL) fracture features, and to evaluate its efficacy across varying levels of clinical expertise. Using the pretrained Mask Region-Based Convolutional Neural Networks model, originally developed for vertebral body segmentation and fracture detection, we fine-tuned the model and added a new module for measuring fracture metrics-compression rate (CR), Cobb angle (CA), Gardner angle (GA), and sagittal index (SI)-from lumbar spine lateral radiographs. These metrics were derived from six-point labeling by 3 radiologists, forming the ground truth (GT). Training utilized 1,000 nonfractured and 318 fractured radiographs, while validations employed 213 internal and 200 external fractured radiographs. The accuracy of the DL algorithm in quantifying fracture features was evaluated against GT using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Additionally, 4 readers with varying expertise levels, including trainees and an attending spine surgeon, performed measurements with and without DL assistance, and their results were compared to GT and the DL model. The DL algorithm demonstrated good to excellent agreement with GT for CR, CA, GA, and SI in both internal (0.860, 0.944, 0.932, and 0.779, respectively) and external (0.836, 0.940, 0.916, and 0.815, respectively) validations. DL-assisted measurements significantly improved most measurement values, particularly for trainees. The DL algorithm was validated as an accurate tool for quantifying TL fracture features using radiographs. DL-assisted measurement is expected to expedite the diagnostic process and enhance reliability, particularly benefiting less experienced clinicians.

Abstract 2306: A deep learning framework for automated segmentation and analysis of 3D breast cancer spheroid invasion dynamics

Abstract Invasion of neighboring tissues is a cardinal feature of malignancy, notably observed in aggressive cancers like breast cancer, where it can lead to significant morbidity. To explore cancer invasion dynamics, the implementation of a three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroid invasion assay offers a swift approach to mimicking a tumor micro-region or micro-metastasis. Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) time-lapse imaging was chosen for its fluorescence-free and non-destructive advantages in capturing live spheroid movement. However, the subsequent analysis posed challenges, including out-of-focus cells and a voluminous dataset with diverse microscope planes and time points. Our study introduces a segmentation framework featuring in-focus spatial stacking algorithm and novel training architecture that enabling in-depth automated analysis of 3D spheroid invasion behaviors within a microenvironment. Firstly, the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer spheroids were cultured in a microwell dish and then incorporated into a collagen type I matrix for the 3D spheroid invasion assay. Capturing spheroid invasion dynamics involved acquiring 15 z-plane images (spaced at 20 µm intervals) per timepoint for each spheroid using DIC microscopy at 15-minute intervals over a 28-hour period, employing a 20X objective lens. We refined the Focus Stacking framework into Multiple Slices Blurry Stacking (MSB-Stack) by pre-filtering blurred areas before stacking images. This process produced 6390 slices consolidated into 426 labeled stacked images, highlighting Invasive area, Spheroid core, and Invasive cells post-invasion. We then enhanced Mask R-CNN (Region based-Convolutional Neural Networks) with a weak-to-strong augmentation mechanism, leveraging well-segmented samples from MSB-Stack for training on both fully stacked and blurred images. Blurry Consistency Mask R-CNN (BCMask R-CNN) demonstrates overall improvement across feature extractors, outperforming Mask R-CNN. Using Mean average precision (mAP) as the main metric for instance segmentation and detection, our proposed model achieves 73.0% and 65.2% on mAP @[0.5, 0.95], showcasing robustness. Notably, our best results for mAP @0.5 reach 96.6% and 96.7% on both tasks, underscoring the effectiveness of consistency training in mitigating unclear boundary issues during preprocessing. In conclusion, our proposed method, MSB-Stack, effectively addresses the challenge of unclear boundaries in 3D breast cancer cell DIC microscopy datasets. The integration of weak-to-strong consistency training in our model, BCMask R-CNN, not only mitigates biases but also enhances performance across different backbones, setting the stage for future advancements in cell-tracking tasks and broader migratory analyses. Citation Format: Thi Kim Ngan Ngo, Thanh-Huy Nguyen, Fang-Yu Lin, Ting-Yuan Tu. A deep learning framework for automated segmentation and analysis of 3D breast cancer spheroid invasion dynamics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2306.

A Hybrid Perspective of Vision-Based Methods for Estimating Structural Displacements Based on Mask Region-Based Convolutional Neural Networks

Abstract Vision-based methods have shown great potential in vibration-based structural health monitoring (SHM), which can be classified as target-based and target-free methods. However, target-based methods cannot achieve subpixel accuracy, and target-free methods are sensitive to environmental effects. To this end, this paper proposed a hybrid perspective of vision-based methods for estimating structural displacements, based on Mask region-based convolutional neural networks (Mask R-CNNs). In proposed methods, Mask R-CNN is used to first locate the target region and then target-free vision-based methods are used to estimate structural displacements from the located target. The performances of proposed methods were validated in a shaking table test of a cold formed steel (CFS) wall system. It can be seen that Mask R-CNN can significantly improve the accuracy of feature point matching results of the target-free method. The comparisons of estimated structural displacements using proposed methods are conducted and detailed into accuracy, stability, and computational burden, to guide the selection of the proper proposed method for the specific problem in vibration-based SHM. Proposed methods can also achieve even 1/15 pixel-level accuracy. Moreover, different image denoising methods in different lighting conditions are compared.

Robust Object Detection Using Fire Hawks Optimizer with Deep Learning Model for Video Surveillance

In recent years, video surveillance has become an integral part of computer vision research, addressing a variety of challenges in security, memory management and content extraction from video sequences. This paper introduces the Robust Object Detection using Fire Hawks Optimizer with Deep Learning (ROD-FHODL) technique, a novel approach designed specifically for video surveillance applications. Combining object detection and classification the proposed technique employs a two-step procedure. Utilizing the power of the Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask-RCNN) for object detection, we optimize its hyperparameters using the Fire Hawks Optimizer (FHO) algorithm to improve its efficacy. Our experimental results on the UCSD dataset demonstrate the significant impact of the proposed work. It achieves an extraordinary RUNNT of 1.34[Formula: see text]s on the pedestrian-1 dataset, significantly outperforming existing models. In addition, the proposed system surpasses in accuracy, with a pedestrian-1 accuracy rate of 97.45% and Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of 98.92%. Comparative analysis demonstrates the superiority of the proposed system in True Positive Rate (TPR) versus False Positive Rate (FPR) across thresholds. In conclusion, the proposed system represents a significant advancement in video surveillance, offering advances in speed, precision and robustness that hold promise for enhancing security, traffic management and public space monitoring in smart city infrastructure and other applications.

Deep learning-based online image analysis of the water suspension granulation process for 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane-based polymer-bonded explosives

Polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) are typically prepared via water suspension granulation (WSG). However, few studies have reported on online monitoring during WSG. In this study, the WSG process for 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX)-based PBXs was monitored using online imaging and infrared detection technology. The images of the particles and droplets obtained during the WSG process were then identified by employing the Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN). The characteristic peak of ethyl acetate identified in the online infrared spectra during the WSG process is a key indicator for binder concentration. The experimental results show that the changes in the particle size distribution and particle morphology of the explosive modeling powders are consistent with the actual results, online infrared detection can provide effective guidance for the addition of the binder solution. This new and effective approach can be used to study WSG and has considerable potential for process optimization and quality control.

Advanced mask region-based convolutional neural network based deep-learning model for lung cancer detection

Millions of individuals are affected each year by lung cancer, a serious global health concern. It may also cause numerous potentially fatal pulmonary problems, including infections, hemorrhage, or collapse. Finding a consistent and an effective way to ascertain lung cancer using medical imaging techniques is one of the primary issues in medical image processing. The difficulty of this task stems from the fact that the regions of the lungs that are affected by cancer might differ greatly in expressions of their size, location, shape, and aesthetics. Identifying whether the identified area is benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) is another difficult task. Finding the appropriate course of treatment for the patient will depend on this. A critical stage in the identification of lung malignancy is identifying the knobs that are expected to be malevolent. To solve these issues, in this study work we employ a deep learning methodology based on Mask region-based convolutional neural network (Mask-RCNN). For the purpose of identifying and locating infected lung regions on computed tomography (CT) scan images, model is built utilizing the customized Mask-RCNN. In accordance with the evaluation's findings, the model scored 99.32% for accuracy and 99.45% for mean DICE, respectively.

Flight traits of dengue-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Understanding the flight behaviour of dengue-infected mosquitoes can play a vital role in various contexts, including modelling disease risks and developing effective interventions against dengue. Studies on the locomotor activity of dengue-infected mosquitoes have often faced challenges in terms of methodology. Some studies used small tubes, which impacted the natural movement of the mosquitoes, while others that used cages did not capture the three-dimensional flights, despite mosquitoes naturally flying in three dimensions. In this study, we utilised Mask RCNN (Region-based Convolutional Neural Network) along with cubic spline interpolation to comprehensively track the three-dimensional flight behaviour of dengue-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This analysis considered a number of parameters as characteristics of mosquito flight, including flight duration, number of flights, Euclidean distance, flight speed, and the volume (space) covered during flights. The accuracy achieved for mosquito detection and tracking was 98.34% for flying mosquitoes and 100% for resting mosquitoes. Notably, the interpolated data accounted for only 0.31%, underscoring the reliability of the results. Flight traits results revealed that exposure to the dengue virus significantly increases the flight duration (p-value 0.0135 × 10−3) and volume (space) covered during flights (p-value 0.029) whilst decreasing the total number of flights compared to uninfected mosquitoes. The study did not observe any evident impact on the Euclidean distance (p-value 0.064) and speed (p-value 0.064) of Aedes aegypti. These results highlight the intricate relationship between dengue infection and the flight behaviour of Aedes aegypti, providing valuable insights into the virus transmission dynamics. This study focused on dengue-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes; future research can explore the impact of other arboviruses on mosquito flight behaviour.