Machine learning techniques use data (images, signals, text) to train a machine (or model) to perform a task such as image classification, object detection, or language translation. Classical machine learning techniques are still being used to solve challenging image classification problems. However, they don’t work well when applied directly to images, because they ignore the structure and compositional nature of images. Until recently, state-of-the-art techniques made use of feature extraction algorithms that extract interesting parts of an image as compact low-dimensional feature vectors. These were then used along with traditional machine learning algorithms.
Enter Deep learning. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a specific type of deep learning algorithm, address the gaps in traditional machine learning techniques, changing the way we solve these problems. CNNs not only perform classification, but they can also learn to extract features directly from raw images, eliminating the need for manual feature extraction. For computer vision applications you often need more than just image classification; you need state-of-the-art computer vision techniques for object detection, a bit of domain expertise, and the know-how to set up and use GPUs efficiently. Through the rest of this post, I will use an object recognition example to illustrate how easy it is to use MATLAB for deep learning, even if you don’t have extensive knowledge of computer vision or GPU programming.
