A Survey of Modern Object Detection Literature using Deep Learning

Abstract: Object detection is the identification of an object in the image along with its localisation and classification. It has wide spread applications and is a critical component for vision based software systems. This paper seeks to perform a rigorous survey of modern object detection algorithms that use deep learning. As part of the survey, the topics explored include various algorithms, quality metrics, speed/size trade offs and training methodologies. This paper focuses on the two types of object detection algorithms- the SSD class of single step detectors and the Faster R-CNN class of two step detectors. Techniques to construct detectors that are portable and fast on low powered devices are also addressed by exploring new lightweight convolutional base architectures. Ultimately, a rigorous review of the strengths and weaknesses of each detector leads us to the present state of the art.