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Computer Science, Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Improving Semantic Uncertainty Estimation in Neural Ray Tracing with Approximate Hashing

Improving Semantic Uncertainty Estimation in Neural Ray Tracing with Approximate Hashing

In this article, we propose a new approach to learning neural semantic fields that takes into account the uncertainty of predicted colors. The proposed method, called "Learning Neural Semantic Field with Uncertainty" (LNSFU), improves the quality of predictions with a small training dataset and is computationally efficient due to its use of trainable positional encoding based on hashing.
To understand how LNSFU works, let’s break it down into its core components:

  1. Loss function: The loss function used in LNSFU combines three terms: the reconstruction loss (Lrgb), the semantic loss (Lsemantic), and the uncertainty loss (Luncert). These losses are designed to work together to improve the overall quality of predictions.
  2. Positional encoding: Positional encoding is a technique used in neural networks to add context to the input data. In LNSFU, positional encoding is based on hashing, which allows for efficient computation and scaling to large datasets.
  3. Uncertainty estimation: Uncertainty estimation is an important aspect of LNSFU, as it helps to account for the uncertainty in the predictions. This is achieved through the use of a cross-entropy loss function in combination with a set of predicted probabilities (ppred) and ground truth labels (semanticgt).
  4. Training: The training process for LNSFU involves optimizing the loss function using backpropagation and gradient descent. This is done using an efficient algorithm that takes into account the structure of the data and the computational requirements of the model.
  5. Implementation: LNSFU is implemented using a combination of TensorFlow and PyTorch, two popular deep learning frameworks. The code for LNSFU is publicly available, making it easy for researchers and developers to use and build upon the proposed method.
    In summary, LNSFU is a powerful approach to learning neural semantic fields that takes into account the uncertainty of predictions. By combining efficient positional encoding with uncertainty estimation, LNSFU improves the quality of predictions while reducing computational costs. This makes it an attractive choice for applications where accuracy and efficiency are both important, such as in computer vision and machine learning.